BANCROFT 

LIBRARY 
«• 

THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


Mi  VAJ 


.    • 


I 


DARING  AND  SUFFERING 


A  HISTORY  OF 


THE  GEEAT   RAILEOAD  ADVENTURE. 


BY  LIEUT.  WILLIAM  PITTENGER, 

ONE    OF    THE    ADVENTURERS. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION, 

BY   REV.    ALEXANDER   CLARK. 


"The  expedition,  In  the  daring  of  Its  conception,  had  the  wildness  of  a 
romance ;  while  in  the  gigantic  and  overwhelming  results  it  sought  and  was 
likely  to  accomplish,  it  was  absolutely  sublime."—  Official  Report  of  Hon. 
Judge  Holt  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

"  II  was  all  the  deepest  laid  scheme,  and  on  the  grandest  scale,  that  ever 
emanated  from  the  brains  of  any  number  of  Yankees  combined."— Atlanta 
"  Southern  Confederacy"  of  April  15th,  1862. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
J.  W.  DAUGHADAY,  PUBLISHER, 

1308  CHESTNUT  STREET. 
1870. 


E" 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

J.   W.   DAUGHADAY, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Clerk  of  the  District  Court  for  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


TO 

R.  T.  TRALL,  M.  D., 

EDITOR  OF  THE  "HERALD  OF  HEALTH, 


AND 


tlu 


THIS   VOLUME   IS   RESPECTFULLY   INSCRIBED 
AS    A    TRIBUTE    OF 

ESTEEM  AND  GRATITUDE, 

BY 

THE    AUTHOR. 

NEW  SOMERSET,  Jefferson  Co.,  O., 
October,  1863. 


NAMES  OF  THE  ADVENTURERS. 


EXECUTED. 


J.  J.  ANDREWS,  Leader, 
WILLIAM  CAMPBELL, 
GEORGE  D.  WILSON, 
MARION  A.  Ross, 
PERRY  G.  SHABRACK, 
SAMUEL  SLAVENS, 
SAMUEL  ROBINSON, 
JOHN  SCOTT, 


Citizen  of  Kentucky. 

Citizen  of  Kentucky. 
Co.  B,       Second  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Co.  A,       Second  Reg't  Ohio  Vols.   . 
Co.  K,       Second  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Co.  G,  Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Co.  K,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 


ESCAPED  IN  OCTOBEK. 

W.  W.  BrowN,  Co.  F,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

WILLIAM  KNIGHT,  Co.  E,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

J.  R.  PORTER,  Co.  C,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

MARK  WOOD,  Co.  C,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

J.  A.  WILSON,  Co.  C,  Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

M.  J.  HAWKINS,  Co.  A,  Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

JOHN  WOLLAM,  Co.  C,  Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 

D.  A.  DORSET,  Co.  H,  Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 


EXCHANGED  IN  MAHCH. 


JACOB  PARROTT,  Co.  K, 

ROBERT  BUFPUM,  Co.  H, 

WILLIAM  BENSINGER,  Co.  G, 

WILLIAM  REDDICK,  Co.  B, 

E.  H.  MASON,  Co.  K, 

WILLIAM  PITTENGER,  Co.  G, 


Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Twenty  first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Thirty-third  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Twenty-first  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 
Second  Reg't  Ohio  Vols. 


PREFACE. 


THE  following  work  is  a  narration  of  facts.  My 
only  desire  is  to  give  a  clear  and  connected  record 
of  what  will  ever  be  regarded  as  a  most  remarkable 
episode  in  the  history  of  the  Great  Rebellion. 

The  style  of  the  book  demands  an  apology.  It 
was  begun  in  sickness  induced  by  the  privations 
of  rebel  prisons,  and  completed  amidst  the  fatigue 
and  excitement  of  the  most  glorious  campaign  which 
has  yet  crowned  our  arms.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, there  must  be  many  faults  of  expression, 
which  a  generous  reader  will  readily  pardon. 

To  the  many  kind  friends  who  sympathized  with 
me  during  the  weary  interval  when  my  fate  was  con- 
sidered hopeless,  as  well  as  those  who  rejoiced  with 
me  on  my  return,  I  can  only  tender  my  most  sin- 
cere thanks. 

Myself  and  comrades  are  greatly  indebted  to  the 
PRESIDENT  and  Secretary  STANTON  for  their  gene- 
rous recognition  of  our  services,  and  the  munificent 
rewards  bestowed  upon  us.  To  them,  and  to  Judge 
HOLT,  Major- General  HITCHCOCK,  and  JAMES  C. 
WETMORE,  Ohio  State  Military  Agent,  we  take  this 
opportunity  of  expressing  our  heartfelt  obligations. 

(5) 


6  PEEFACE. 

Another  to  whom  I  am  indebted  is  Dr.  R.  T. 
TRALL  of  New  York.  At  his  beautiful  "  Eygiean 
Home,"  on  the  mountain  side,  near  Wernersville, 
Berks  county,  Pennsylvania,  I  regained  my  lost 
health.  For  his  kindness,  and  that  of  his  skillful 
assistants,  Drs.  GLASS  and  FAIRCHILD,  I  will  ever 
be  deeply  grateful.  It  was  with  regret,  woven  with 
many  pleasant  memories,  that  I  left  their  hospita- 
ble home  when  recovered  health  and  duty  called 
me  again  to  the  field. 

To  my  early  friend,  Rev.  ALEXANDER  CLARK, 
Editor  of  the  "  School  Visitor,"  I  am  still  more 
deeply  indebted.  His  literary  experience  was  freely 
placed  at  my  service,  and  when  discouraged  in  the 
preparation  of  my  story,  which  was  to  me  an  ardu- 
ous undertaking,  his  words  of  hope  and  cheer  stimu- 
lated me  to  renewed  efforts.  But  for  aid  derived 
from  his  sympathy  and  advice,  I  would  have  proba- 
bly abandoned  my  task.  May  he  be  fully  rewarded ! 

There  are  a  host  of  others  whose  good  offices  will 
always  be  kindly  remembered.  Among  them  are 
W.  R.  ALLISON  of  the  "Steubenville  Herald,"  Dr. 
JOHN  McCooK,  also  of  Steubenville,  Dr.  GEORGE 
McCooK  of  Pittsburgh,  Rev.  WILLIAM  B.  WAT- 
KINS,  A.  M.,  Dr.  JOHN  MILLS,  and  many  others. 
Thanks  to  them  all  1 

WILLIAM  PITTENGER. 

Army  of  the  Cumberland,  August,  1863. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEE    I. 

Sad  Retrospective — Object  of  the  Book — Military  Situation 
in  the  Southwest — Disaster  and  Energy  of  the  Rebels — 
Necessity  for  a  Secret-  Expedition — A  Proposition  to 
Buell  and  Mitchel — An  Attempt  and  Failure — Return  of 
Adventurers — Second  Expedition — Writer  Volunteers — 
Andrews,  the  Leader —Parting  from  the  Regiment — On 
the  Way— Perplexities  —The  Writer  Cur-tailed  ! 

23—35 


CHAPTEE   II. 

Midnight  Consultation — Plans  Developed — Money  Distri- 
buted—  Compagnons  du  Voyage — A  Dismal  Night — Shel- 
tered from  the  Storm — Southern  Unionist — Arrested  by 
Federal  Soldiers — Beyond  the  Lines — Panic  Caused  by 
Negroes — Method  of  Avoiding  Suspicion — Continuous 
Rain — Behind  Time — Hunting  Human  Beings  with 
Bloodhounds— The  Cumberland  Mountains— Rain  again. 

36—45 

(7) 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Crossing  the  Mountains — Playing  Hypocrite — Legend  of 
Battle  Creek  Valley — Lodged  with  a  Secessionist — 
Strategy — A  Welcome  but  Fatal  Delay — Exaggerated 
Accounts  of  Shiloh — Prevented  from  Crossing  the  Ten- 
nessee— In  the  Mountains  again — Amusing  Rebel  Story 
— To  the  River  again — Perilous  Crossing — Success — 
Chattanooga — On  the  Cars — Night — Arrive  at  Marietta. 

46—56 


CHAPTER    IY. 

Take  an  Early  Train — Prospecting — Capture  of  the  Train 
— Panic  in  Confederate  Camp — Away  at  Lightning 
Speed — Thrilling  Experience — Cut  the  Telegraph— Tear 
up  the  Track — Unexpected  Obstacle — Running  a  Powder 
Train  to  Beauregard — Red  Flag — Dropping  Cross-Ties — 
Battering  out  Spikes — Immense  Exertion  of  Strength — 
Pursuing  Backward — Terrible  Chase — Attempt  to  Wreck 
the  Enemy's  Train— Fearful  Speed— Bold  Plan.  57—67 


CHAPTER    Y. 

Consternation  along  the  Route — Wood  and  Water — At- 
tempt to  Fire  the  Train — Partial  Failure — Message  sent 
to  Chattanooga — Terrific  Preparations — Abandon  the 
Train — A  Capital  Error — In  the  Woods — A  Thrilling 
Account  of  the  Chase  from  the  Atlanta  "Southern  Con- 
federacy." 68—90 


CONTENTS  9 

CHAPTEE    VI. 

Swipendous  "Man  Hunt" — My  Own  Adventures — Playing 
Acrobat — Perilous  Crossing  of  a  River — Hunger — The 
Sloodhounds — Flying  for  Life — No  Sun  or  Star  to  Guide 
me — Traveling  in  a  Circle — Nearing  Chattanooga — Lost 
in  Deadened  Timber — Glimpse  of  the  Moon — Fatigue 
produces  Phantoms — Dreadful  Storm — I  Sleep  and  enter 
Fairy  Land— Glorious  Visions — Reality — A  Picket— Ro- 
mance Faded— Horrible  Situation— Day  Dawn— No  Re- 
lief. 91-105 

CHAPTEE   VII. 

Sabbath — Continuous  Rain — Press  Onward — Observed — 
Arrested — Curious  Examination — Equivocating  for  Life 
— Plans  Foiled  by  Unexpected  News— Plundered — Jail — 
Terrible  Reflections — New  and  Hopeful  Resolve — Un- 
welcome Visitors — Vigilance  Committee  Disappointed 
— Ordered  to  Chattanooga — A  Mob — Chained  to  the 
Carriage — Escort — The  Journey  —  Musings — Arrival — 
Another  Mob  —  Benevolent  Gentleman  (?)  —  General 
Leadbetter— Andrews.  106—126 


CHAPTEE    VIII. 

Negro  Prison — Swims,  the  Jailor — Horrible  Dungeon — 
Black  Hole  of  Calcutta — Suffocation — Union  Prisoners 
—Slave  Catching— Our  Party  Reunited— Breakfast  Low- 
ered by  Rope — Hunger — Counseling — Fiendish  Barba- 
rity— Chained  in  the  Dungeon — Andrews  tried  as  a  Spy 
and  Traitor — Sweet,  but  Stolen  News — Removed  from 
Dungeon — Pure  Air  and  Sunlight — Attacked  by  a  Mob 
— "A  Friend" — Madison — Daring  Adventure  and  Nar- 
row Escape.  127—147 


10  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Return  to  Chattanooga — Caution  of  Rebels — Unchain  Our- 
selves—Mock Trials— The  Judge— Singing— One  Kind- 
ness— Projected  Escape — Loitering  Comrades — A  Gleam 
of  Hope — Sad  Parting — Knoxville — Prison  Inmates — 
Brownlow — Awful  Cruelty — Andrews  Condemned  to 
Death — Escapes  with  Wollam — Fearful  Perils — Swim- 
ming the  River — Hiding  on  an  Island — Found  by  Chil- 
dren—Yields to  His  Fate— Horrible  Death— Wollam's 
Stratagem — On  the  River — Passes  a  Gun  Boat — Final 
Capture.  148—170 


CHAPTER    X. 

Sorrow  for  Andrews — Prepare  for  Trial — Charges  and 
Specifications — Plan  of  Defence — Incidents  of  Trial — 
Encouragement — Not  Allowed  to  Hear  Pleading— Law- 
yer's Plea — Seven  Tried — Mitchel  Dissolves  the  Court — 
Tied  Again — A  Saucy  Reply — Advantage  of  Sickness — 
Fry  Deceived — Revolting  Inhumanity — Fry's  Capture — 
Starve  to  Atlanta — Taunts  of  the  Mob — Atlanta  Prison 
—A  Kind  Jailor.  171—183 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Cavalry  Approach — Seven  Removed  from  the  Room — Sus- 
pense— Sentence  of  Death — Heart-rending  Separation — 
Death  and  the  Future — Not  Prepared — Inhuman  Haste 
— The  Tragedy — Speech  on  the  Scaffold — Breaking  Ropes 
— Enemies  Affected — Gloom  of  Survivors — Prayer. 

184—192 


CONTENTS  11 


CHAPTEE    XII. 

Religious  Experience— Contraband  Assistance  —  Intelli- 
gence of  Negroes — Love  of  Freedom — Wollam's  Recap- 
ture— A  Friendly  Preacher — Obtain  Books — Disgusting 
Diet — Plays — Debates — Reading  Hours — Envy  the  Birds 
— Dreams  of  Home — Telegraphing — Friends  from  our 
Army — Hope  Deferred — Union  Society — Difficulties  of 
Tobacco-chewers — Precious  Books.  193 — 207 


CHAPTEK    XIII. 

Contemplated  Escape — Startling  Intelligence — Our  Doom 
Pronounced  from  Richmond — Hesitate  no  Longer — Our 
Plan — All  Ready — Supper — Farewell — Life  or  Death — 
Seize  the  Jailor — Guns  Wrested  from  Guards — Alarm 
Given— Scaling  the  Wall— Guards  Fire— Terrible  Chase 
— Six  Recaptured — Wood  and  Wilson  Reach  the  Gulf — 
Dorsey's  Narrative — Porter's  Account — Boasting  of  the 
Guards— Barlow's  Cruel  Death.  208—223 


CHAPTEE    XIY. 

Despair  and  Hope — Bitten  Finger — Removed  to  Barracks 
— Greater  Comfort — Jack  Wells— Cruel  Punishment  of 
Tennesseeans — Story  of  a  Spy — Help  Him  to  Escape — 
Virtue  of  a  Coat — A  Practical  Joke — Unionism— Sweet 
Potatoes — Enlisting  in  Rebel  Army — Description  of  a 
Day — Happy  News — Start  for  Richmond — Not  Tied — 
Night  Journey — Varied  Incidents — Lynchburg — Rebel 
Audacity  Punished — Suffering  from  the  Cold — Arrival 
in  Richmond.  224—246 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XY. 

The  City  by  Moonlight — Old  Accusation  Renewed— Libby 
Prison — Discomfort — A  Change — Citizens'  Department 
— Richmond  Breakfast — Removed  under  Guard — Castle 
Thunder — Miniature  Bedlam — Conceal  a  Knife — Con- 
fined in  a  Stall — Dreadful  Gloom — Routine  of  a  Day — 
Suffering  at  Night — Friends  Exchanged — Newspapers — 
Burnside — Pecuniary  Perplexities — Captain  Webster — 
Escape  Prevented — Try  Again  on  Christmas  Night — 
Betrayed— Fearful  Danger  Avoided.  247—266 


CHAPTER    XYI. 

Letter  sent  Home — Alarming  Pestilence — Our  Quarters 
Changed — Rowdyism — Fairy  Stories — Judge  Baxter — 
Satanic  Strategy — Miller's  History — An  Exchange  with  a 
Dead  Man — Effect  of  Democratic  Victories — Attempt  to 
Make  us  Work — Digging  out  of  a  Cell — Worse  than  the 
Inquisition — Unexpected  Interference — List  from  "  Yan- 
kee Land" — Clothing  Stolen — Paroled — A  Night  of  Joy — 
Torch-light  March— On  the  Cars— The  Boat— Reach 
Washington — Receive  Medals,  Money,  and  Promotion — 
Home.  267—288 


INTRODUCTION. 


WHILE  our  absent  brothers  are  battling  on  the 
field,  it  is  becoming  that  the  friends  at  home 
should  be  eager  for  the  minutest  particulars  of 
the  camp-life,  courage  and  endurance  of  the 
dear  boys  far  away  ;  for  to  the  loyal  lover  of 
his  country  every  soldier  is  a  brother. 

The  narrative  related  on  the  following  pages 
is  one  of  extraordinary  "  daring  and  suffering," 
and  will  excite  an  interest  in  the  public  mind 
such  as  has  rarely,  if  ever,  arisen  from  any  per- 
sonal adventures  recorded  on  the  page  of 
history. 

WILLIAM  PITTENGEB,  the  oldest  of  a  nu- 
merous family,  was  born  in  Jefferson  county, 
Ohio,  January  31st,  1840.  His  father,  THOMAS 
PITTENGER,  is  a  farmer,  and  trains  his  children 
in  the  solid  experiences  of  manual  labor.  His 
mother  is  from  a  thinking  familyhood  of  peo- 
ple, many  of  whom  are  well  known  in  Eastern 

(13) 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

Ohio  as  pioneers  in  social  and  moral  progress 
— the  MILLS'S.  WILLIAM  learned  to  love  his 
country  about  as  early  as  he  learned  to  love 
his  own  mother ;  for  his  first  lessons  were  loy- 
alty and  liberty,  syllabled  by  a  mother's  lips. 
Even  before  the  boy  could  read,  he  knew  in 
outline  the  history  of  our  nation's  trials  and 
triumphs,  from  the  days  of  Bunker  Hill, 
forward  to  the  passing  events  of  the  latest 
newspaper  chronicling, — all  of  which  facts 
were  nightly  canvassed  around  the  cabin- 
hearth. 

Although  he  was  an  adept  in  all  branches  of 
learning,  yet,  in  school  days,  as  now,  young 
PITTENGER  had  two  favorite  studies ;  and  they 
happened  to  be  the  very  ones  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  which  his  teachers  could  aid  him  scarcely 
at  all — History  and  Astronomy.  But,  in  the 
face  of  discouragement,  with  the  aid  only  of 
accidental  helps,  and  by  the  candle-light  and 
the  star-light  after  the  sunny  hours  had  been 
toiled  away,  he  pressed  patiently  and  perse- 
veringly  forward  in  his  own  chosen  methods, 
until  he  became  an  accurate  historian,  and  a 
practical  astronomer.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
he  manufactured,  for  the  most  part  with  his 
own  hands,  a  reflecting  telescope,  which  his 
friends  came  from  near  and  far  to  see,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

gaze  through  at  the  wonderful  worlds  un- 
thought-of  before. 

The  ambitions  of  farm-life  were  not  sufficient 
to  occupy  the  head  and  hands  of  this  searcher 
for  knowledge.  To  explore  the  fields  of  the 
firmament  with  his  telescope,  gave  him  intenser 
pleasure  than  the  most  faithful  farmer  ever  real- 
ized from  furrowing  his  fields  in  the  dewiest 
spring  mornings.  To  follow  the  footsteps  of 
heroes  through  the  world's  annals,  as  they 
struggled  up  through  conflicts  to  glorious  lib- 
erty, thrilled  him  with  a  livelier  enthusiasm 
than  ever  sprang  from  the  music  of  marching 
harvesters.  While  other  young  men  of  his 
age  and  neighborhood  idled  their  rainy  days 
and  winter  nights  in  trifling  diversions,  there 
was  one  who  preferred  the  higher  joy  of  com- 
munion with  Humboldt  in  his  "  Cosmos," 
Macaulay  in  his  "  England,"  Irving  in  his 
"  Columbus,"  or  Burritt  in  his  "  Geography  of 
the  Heavens." 

Owing  to  this  decided  preference  for  science 
and  literature,  the  father  found  it  advisable  to 
indulge  his  son  in  the  desire  to  enter  a  field 
more  consonant  with  his  wishes.  He  accord- 
ingly qualified  himself,  by  close  study  at  home, 
and  without  a  tutor,  for  the  profession  of  teach- 
ing. In  this  honorable  avocation  he  labored 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

with  industry  and  promise,  until  he  felt  con- 
strained by  love  of  country  to  quit  the  desk 
and  the  children,  for  the  tent  and  the  hosts  of 
armed  men. 

During  his  career  as  teacher,  he  was,  for 
awhile,  associated  with  the  writer  in  the  publica- 
tion of  the  School  Visitor,  then  issued  at  Cleve- 
land, Ohio.  The  enterprise  was,  at  that  time, 
(1857-8,)  to  the  great  outer  world,  an  unno- 
ticed and  insignificant  one ;  yet  to  those  whose 
little  all  was  enlisted  in  the  mission  of  a  Day 
School  paper,  it  was,  indeed,  something  that  lay 
close  upon  their  hearts.  That  was  a  cheerless, 
friendless  time  in  the  history  of  the  little 
Visitor,  to  at  least  two  inexperienced  adven- 
turers in  the  literary  world.  But  these  were 
hidden  trials,  and  shall  be  unwritten  still. 

The  never-forgotten  teachings  of  his  mother, 
together  with  the  unconscious  tuition  result- 
ing from  observation  and  experience,  made  PIT- 
TENGEB  an  early  and  constant  friend  of  freedom. 
Any  mind  imbued  with  an  admiration  of  God's 
marches  in  the  Heavens  as  an  Omnipotent 
Creator,  and  inspired  by  a  contemplation  of 
God's  finger  in  History  as  a  merciful  Deliverer, 
will  rise  to  the  high  level  of  universal  love  to 
man,  and  will  comprehend  the  broad  equality 
of  Gospel  liberty  and  republican  brotherhood. 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

Let  a  man  be  educated,  head  and  heart,  and 
he  will  love  freedom,  and  demand  freedom, 
and  "  dare  and  suffer"  for  freedom,  not  for  him- 
self only,  but  for  all  the  oppressed  of  the  whole 
earth. 

Eeader,  you  may  draw  lines.  You  may  pro- 
fess a  conservative  Christianity  that  would  theo- 
logize the  very  grace  out  of  the  command, 
"  Love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself"  You  may  ignore 
this  Christ- like  precept,  and  adopt  something 
more  fashionable  and  aristocratic ;  but  if  you 
do,  you  entertain  in  your  heart  treason,  both  to 
your  Father  in  heaven  and  to  your  brother  on 
earth.  This  law  of  love  is  revealed  to  lowly 
men.  It  cuts  down  through  crowns  and  creeds 
and  chains,  and  rests  as  a  blessed  benediction 
on  sufferers  and  slaves.  This  is  the  inspiration 
that  brings  victory  to  our  arms,  and  deals  death 
to  destroyers.  This  was  the  spirit  that  prompted 
our  young  hero  to  stand  forth,  one  of  the  very 
first  from  his  native  county,  a  soldier  for  right 
and  righteousness,  the  moment  the  Sumter  cry 
rang  up  the  valley  of  his  Ohio  home. 

When  PITTINGER  became  a  volunteer,  it  was 
for  the  suppression  of  the  Kebellion  with  all  its 
belongings, — and  if  its  overthrow  should  tumble 
slavery,  with  its  clanking  fetters  and  howling 
hounds,  to  the  uttermost  destruction,  he  would 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

grasp  Ins  gun  the  firmer  for  the  hope,  and 
thank  God  for  the  prospect,  the  test,  and  the 
toil !  He  enlisted  as  a  soldier  for  his  country, 
ready  to  march  anywhere,  strike  with  any 
weapon,  endure  any  fatigue,  or  share  any  sor- 
row. He  went  out  not  merely  an  armored  war- 
rior, to  ward  off  attacks,  not  to  strike  off  ob- 
noxious top-growths ;  but  to  "  lay  the  ax  at  the 
root  of  the  tree,''  and  to  pierce  the  very  heart  of 
the  monster  iniquity. 

In  three  days  after  the  receipt  of  the  startling 
intelligence  that  the  Stars  and  Stripes  had  been 
fired  upon  by  rebels  in  arms,  PITTENGER  was  on 
his  way  to  the  Capital  as  a  private  soldier  in  the 
Second  Ohio  Regiment  of  volunteers.  He 
fought  bravely  on  the  disastrous  21st  of  July,  in 
the  battle  of  Bull  Run,  while  many  of  his  com- 
rades fell  bleeding  at  his  side.  For  his  calm, 
heroic  conduct  throughout  that  memorable  day 
of  peril  and  panic,  he  received  the  highest  praise 
from  every  officer  of  his  regiment.  Although 
thus  a  sharer  of  war's  sternest  conflicts  during 
the  three  months'  campaign,  he  was  ready  to 
re-enlist  immediately,  when  his  country  called 
for  a  longer  service ;  and  after  a  few  days'  rest 
beneath  the  old  homestead  roof,  he  was  again  on 
his  way  with  the  same  regiment  to  the  seat  of  war 
in  the  Southwest. 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

During  the  fall  and  winter  he  saw  severe  ser- 
vice on  the  "dark  and  bloody  ground."  No 
soldiers  ever  endured  so  many  midnight  marches 
more  patiently,  or  manifested  more  self-sacri- 
ficing devotion  to  country,  through  rains  and 
storms,  and  wintry  desolations,  than  the  noble 
Ohio  Second,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
HARRIS,  through  the  campaign  in  the  mountains 
of  eastern  Kentucky. 

In  December,  the  regiment  was  transferred  to 
the  Division  commanded  by  the  lamented  Gene- 
ral MITCHEL,  then  encamped  at  Louisville.  From 
this  point,  the  army  pressed  forward  victoriously 
through  Elizabethtown,  Bowling  Green,  Nash- 
ville, and  Murfreesboro',  until  the  old  banner 
floated  in  the  Tennessee  breezes  at  Shel- 
byville.  While  here,  the  daring  expedition 
to  penetrate  the  heart  of  the  Confederacy 
was  organized,  of  which  party  PITTENGER 
was  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  and  deter- 
mined. 

From  the  day  the  brave  fellows  departed 
over  the  Southern  hills  on  their  adventurous 
journey,  a  veil  was  dropped  which  hid  them 
from  sight  of  friends  for  many  weary  months — 
and  some  of  them  for  ever !  No  tidings  came 
in  answer  to  all  the  beseeching  thought- ques- 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

tionings  that  followed  their  mysterious  pathway 
"  beyond  the  lines." 

*  Vague  rumors  were  current  around  the  camp- 
fires  and  home-circles  that  the  whole  party  had 
been  executed.  Friends  began  to  despair. 
Strangers  began  to  inquire  as  if  for  missing 
friends.  A  universal  sympathy  prevailed  in 
their  behalf,  and  whole  communities  were  excited 
to  the  wildest  fervor  on  account  of  the  lost  ad- 
venturers. The  widely-read  letters  from  the 
Steubenville  Herald's  army  correspondent  were 
missed,  for  PITTENGER  wrote  no  more.  The 
family  were  in  an  agony  of  suspense  for  the 
silent,  absent  son  and  brother.  His  ever  faith- 
ful friend,  Chaplain  GADDIS,  of  the  Ohio  Second, 
made  an  effort  to  go,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  in 
search  of  the  party,  but  was  dissuaded  by  the 
commanding  officers  from  so  hopeless  an 
undertaking.  The  summer  passed,  and  yet  no 
tidings  came.  The  autumn  came  with  its  me- 
lancholy,— and  uncertain  rumors,  like  withered, 
fallen  leaves,  were  again  afloat  about  the  camps 
and  the  firesides.  The  dreary  winter  came,  and 
still  the  .hearts  of  the  most  hopeful  were  chilled 
with  disappointment.  The  father  began  to 
think  of  William  as  dead, — the  mother  to  talk 
of  her  darling  as  one  who  had  lived, — the  chil- 
dren to  speak  of  their  elder  brother  as  one  they 


INTRODUCTION1.  21 

should  never  see  any  more  until  all  the  lost 
loved  ones  meet  in  the  better  land.  The  writer 
was  even  solicited  by  a  mutual  friend  to  preach 
the  funeral  sermon  of  one  whose  memory  was 
still  dear,  but  whom  none  of  us  ever  hoped  to 
see  again  on  earth. 

But  our  Father  in  heaven  was  kinder  than  we 
thought.  Our  prayers  had  been  heard!  As 
our  fervent  petitions  winged  up  from  family 
altars  to  the  ear  of  the  Infinite  Lover,  the  guar- 
dian angels  winged  afar  downward  through 
battle  alarms,  and  ministered  to  him  for  whom 
we  besought  protection.  When  the  bright 
spring  days  came  smiling  over  the  earth,  a  mes- 
sage came  from  the  hand  of  the  missing  one, 
brighter  and  sunnier  to  our  hearts  than  the 
April  sunlight  on  the  hills  1  Soon  the  story 
was  told,  and  we  all  thanked  God  for  the  merci- 
ful deliverance  of  him  for  whom  we  prayed,  and 
who  had  found,  even  in  a  dismal  prison-cell,  the 
Pearl  of  great  price !  The  one  we  loved  returned 
home  a  witness  of  the  Spirit  that  came  to  him 
as  a  Comforter  in  his  dreariest  loneliness,  and 
is  already  a  minister  of  the  precious  Grospel 
that  gladdened  him  in  the  time  of  his  tribula- 
tion. 

And  now  the  reader  shall  know  all  about  the 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

tedious  delay  and  the  long  silence,  from  the  pen 
of  him  who  survives  to  tell  the  story. 

We  commend  to  all  who  peruse  this  narrative 
an  interesting  volume,  entitled  "  Beyond  the 
Lines"  another  sad  rehearsal  of  terror  in  rebel 
prisons  and  Southern  swamps,  in  other  portions 
of  the  Confederacy — the  experience  of  Rev. 
Capt.  J.  J.  GEER,  now  one  of  Lieutenant  PIT- 
TENGER'S  associate-advocates  for  liberty  in  the 
pulpit,  as  he  was  recently  a  brother-bondman  in 
the  land  of  tyranny  and  death.  A.  C. 

PHILADELPHIA,  September  15, 1863. 


DARING  AND  SUFFERING. 


CHAPTER   I. 

Sad  Retrospective — Object  of  the  Book — Military  Situation 
in  the  Southwest — Disaster  and  Energy  of  the  Rebels — 
Necessity  for  a  Secret  Expedition — A  Proposition  to 
Buell  and  Mitchel — An  Attempt  and  Failure — Return  of 
Adventurers — Second  Expedition — Writer  Volunteers — 
Andrews,  the  Leader — Parting  from  the  Regiment — On 
the  Way — Perplexities  —The  Writer  Cur-tailed  ! 

IT  is  painful  for  me  to  write  the  adventures 
of  the  last  year.  As  I  compose  my  mind  to  the 
task,  there  arises  before  me  the  memory  of  days 
of  suffering,  and  nights  of  sleepless  apprehen- 
sion— days  and  nights  that,  in  their  black  mo- 
notony, seemed  well  nigh  eternal.  And  the 
sorrow,  too,  which  I  felt  on  that  terrible  day, 
when  my  companions,  whom  common  dangers 
and  common  sufferings  had  made  as  brothers  to 
me,  were  dragged  away  to  an  ignominious 
death  that  I  expected  soon  to  share — all  comes 
before  me  in,  the  vividness  of  present  reality, 
and  I  almost  shrink  back  and  lay  down  the  pen. 

(23) 


24  DAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OB 

But  I  believe  it  to  be  a  duty  to  give  to  the  pub- 
lic the  details  of  the  great  railroad  adventure, 
which  created  such  an  excitement  in  the  South, 
and  which  Judge  Holt  pronounced  to  be  the 
most  romantic  episode  of  the  war,  both  on  ac- 
count of  the  intrinsic  interest  involved,  and 
still  more  because  of  the  light  it  throws  on  the 
manners  and  feelings  of  the  Southern  people, 
and  their  conduct  during  the  rebellion. 

With  this  view,  I  have  decided  to  give  a 
detailed  history  of  the  expedition,  its  failure,  and 
the  subsequent  imprisonment  and  fate  of  all  of 
the  members  of  the  party.  In  doing  this,  I  will 
have  the  aid  of  the  survivors  of  the  expedition 
— fourteen  in  all — and  hope  to  give  a  narrative 
that  will  combine  the  strictest  truth  with  all  the 
interest  of  a  romance. 

In  order  to  understand  why  the  destruction 
of  the  Georgia  State  JRailroad  was  of  so  much 
consequence,  I  will  refer  to  the  situation  of 
affairs  in  the  Southwest,  in  the  opening  of  the 
spring  of  1862. 

The  year  commenced  very  auspiciously  for 
our  arms.  Fort  Donelson  had  fallen,  after  a 
desperate  contest,  and  nearly  all  its  garrison 
were  taken  prisoners.  The  scattered  remains  of 
the  rebel  army,  under  Johnston,  had  retreated 
precipitately  from  Kentucky,  which  had  indeed 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         25 

been  to  them  u  the  dark  and  bloody  ground." 
Columbus  and  Nashville  were  evacuated,  and 
fell  into  our  hands.  Island  No.  10  was  invested, 
and  the  Tennessee  river  groaned  beneath  a 
mighty  army  afloat,  the  same  that  had  conquered 
Donelson,  under  its  popular  leader,  General 
Grant,  and  which,  it  was  fondly  hoped,  would 
strike  far  away  into  the  center  of  the  rebel 
States.  Throughout  the  North,  men  talked  of 
the  war  as  done,  and  speculated  as  to  the  terms 
of  a  peace  that  was  soon  to  come. 

But  the  end  was  not  yet.  The  rebel  leaders, 
who  had  embarked  their  all  in  this  cause, 
and  had  pictured  to  themselves  a  magnificent 
slaveholding  empire,  stretching  away  from  the 
Potomac  to  the  Sierra  Madre,  in  Mexico,  and 
swallowing  up  all  tropical  America  in  one 
mighty  nation,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  cot- 
ton and  slavery  alone,  over  which  they  should 
reign,  were  not  yet  satisfied  to  relinquish  their 
cause  as  desperate,  and  abandon  their  glorious 
dreams.  With  a  wonderful  energy  that  must 
command  our  admiration,  though  it  he  only  of 
the  kind  that  is  accorded  to  Satan  as  pictured 
in  "Paradise  Lost,"  they  passed  the  conscription 
law,  abandoned  the  posts  they  still  held  on  the 
frontier,  and  concentrated  their  forces  on  a 
shorter  line  of  defence. 


26  DAEING   AND   SUFFERING;    OE 

The  eastern  part  of  this  line  extended  from 
Kichmond,  through  Lynchburg,  to  East  Tennes- 
see. In  the  west;  it  was  represented  by  the 
Memphis  and  Charleston  Eailroad,  extending 
from  Memphis,  through  Corinth,  Huntsville, 
Chattanooga,  and  Atlanta,  to  Charleston.  Here 
they  poured  forward  their  new  levies,  and  began 
to  prepare  for  another  desperate  contest. 

The  unaccountable  inertness  of  the  Eastern 
army  of  the  Union,  under  McClellan,  gave  them 
time  to  strengthen  their  defences,  and  reinforce 
their  army,  which  had  dwindled  to  a  very  low 
ebb  during  the  winter.  But  while  the  commander 
of  the  East  was  planning  strategy  that,  by  the 
slowness  of  its  development,  if  by  nothing 
worse,  was  destined  to  dim  the  lustre  of  the 
Union  triumphs,  and  lose  the  results  of  a  year 
of  war,  the  West  was  in  motion.  Down  the 
Mississippi  swept  our  invincible  fleet,  with  an 
army  on  shore  to  second  its  operations.  Up 
the  Tennessee  steamed  Grant's  victorious  a*rmy, 
and  Buell,  with  forty  thousand  men,  was 
marching  across  the  State  of  Tennessee,  to  reach 
the  same  point.  My  own  division,  under  the 
lamented  General  0.  M.  Mitchel,  was  also 
marching  across  the  State,  but  in  a  different 
direction,  having  Chattanooga  as  its  ultimate  aim, 
while  Morgan,  with  another  strong  force,  many 


THE    GREAT    RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         27 

of  whom  were  refugees  from  East  Tennessee,  lay 
before  Cumberland  Gap,  ready  to  strike  through 
that  fastness  to  Knoxville,  and  thus  reach  the 
very  heart  of  rebellion. 

To  meet  these  powerful  forces,  whose  destina- 
tion he  could  not  altogether  foresee,  Beauregard, 
who  commanded  in  the  west,  concentrated  his 
main  army  at  Corinth,  with  smaller  detach- 
ments scattered  along  the  railroad  to  Chatta- 
nooga. The  railroads  on  which  he  relied  for 
supplies  and  reinforcements,  as  well  as  for  com- 
munication with  the  eastern  portion  of  rebel- 
dom,  formed  an  irregular  parallelogram,  of 
which  the  northern  side  extended  from  Mem- 
phis to  Chattanooga,  the  eastern  from  Chatta- 
nooga to  Atlanta,  the  southern  from  Atlanta  to 
Jackson.  Mississippi,  and  the  western,  by  a  net- 
work of  roads,  from  Jackson  to  Memphis.  The 
great  East  Tennessee  and  Virginia  Railroad, 
which  has  not  inaptly  been  called  "  the  back- 
bone of  the  rebellion,"  intersected  this  parallelo- 
gram at  Chattanooga.  Thus  it  will  be  seen 
that  to  destroy  the  northern  and  eastern  sides 
of  this  parallelogram  isolated  Beauregard,  and 
left  East  Tennessee,  which  was  then  almost 
stripped  of  troops,  to  fall  easily  before  General 
Morgan. 

So  important  was  this  destruction  of  commu- 


28  DARING  AND  SUFFERING ;   OR 

nication  deemed  by  those  in  power,  that  it  was 
at  first  intended  to  reach  both  sides,  and  destroy 
them  by  armies;  but  the  distance  was  so  great 
that  the  design  of  destroying  it  in  this  manner 
was  abandoned. 

However,  just  at  this  time,  J.  J.  Andrews, 
who  was  a  secret  agent  of  the  United  States, 
and  had  repeatedly  visited  every  part  of  the 
South,  proposed  another  method  of  accomplish- 
ing the  same  object,  by  means  of  a  secret  mili- 
tary expedition,  to  burn  the  bridges  on  the 
road,  and  thus  interrupt  communication  long 
enough  for  the  accomplishment  of  the  schemes 
which  were  expected  to  give  rebellion  in  the 
southwest  its  death-blow.  He  first  made  the 
proposition  to  General  Buell,  who  did  not,  for 
some  reason,  approve  of  it.  Afterwards  he 
repeated  it  to  General  Mitch  el,  who  received  it 
with  more  favor. 

Our  division  was  at  this  time  lying  at  Mur- 
freesboro',  repairing  some  bridges  that  had  been 
destroyed,  preparatory  to  an  onward  march  fur- 
ther into  the  interior.  All  at  once,  eight  men 
were  detailed  from  our  regiment — four  of  them 
from  my  own  company.  No  one  knew  anything 
of  their  object  or  destination,  and  numberless 
were  the  conjectures  that  were  afloat  concerning 
them.  Some  supposed  they  had  gone  home  to 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         29 

arrest  deserters ;  others,  that  they  were  desert- 
ers themselves.  But  this  last  idea  was  contra- 
dicted by  the  fact  that  they  were  seen  in  close 
and  apparently  confidential  communication 
with  the  officers  just  before  their  departure,  as 
well  as  by  the  character  of  the  men  themselves, 
who  were  among  the  boldest  and  bravest  of  tho 
regiment.  Many  supposed  that  they  were  sent 
into  the  enemy's  country  as  spies ;  but  the  idea 
of  sending  such  a  number  of  spies  from  the 
privates  in  the  ranks  was  so  obviously  absurd, 
that  I  did  not  seriously  consider  it.  However, 
I  was  not  long  to  remain  in  uncertainty,  for  an 
officer,  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of  mine,  re- 
vealed the  secret  to  me.  The  enterprise  was  so 
grand  and  so  audacious,  that  it  instantly  charmed 
my  imagination,  and  I  at  once  went  to  Colonel 
L.  A.  Harris,  of  the  Second  Ohio,  and  asked,  as 
a  favor  from  him,  that  if  any  detail  was  made 
for  another  expedition  of  the  same  kind,  I 
should  be  placed  on  it. 

Soon  after,  one  of  the  party,  from  Company 
C,  returned,  and  reported  that  he  had  ventured 
as  far  as  Chattanooga,  and  there  had  met  a  Con- 
federate soldier  who  recognized  him  as  belonging 
to  the  Union  army ;  and  while,  for  the  sake  of 
old  friendship,  he  hesitated  to  denounce  him  to 
the  authorities,  yet  advised  him  to  return,  which 


30  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

he  immediately  did,  and  arrived  safely  in  camp 
in  a  few  days.  He  would  give  no  details  that 
might  embarrass  his  companions,  who  were  still 
pressing  their  way  onward  into  the  Confede- 
racy. 

A  short  time  after  this,  all  the  party  came 
back,  and  I  received  full  details  of  their  trip  to 
the  center  of  rebeldom.  They  had  proceeded 
in  citizens'  dress,  on  foot  and  unsuspected,  to 
Chattanooga  ;  there  had  taken  the  cars  for  At- 
lanta, where  they  arrived  in  safety.  Here  they 
expected  to  meet  a  Georgia  engineer,  who  had 
been  running  on  the  State  road  for  some  time, 
and,  with  his  assistance,  intended  to  seize  the 
passenger  train,  at  breakfast,  and  run  through 
to  our  lines,  burning  all  the  bridges  in  their 
rear.  For  several  days  they  waited  for  him,  but 
he  came  not.  They  afterwards  learned  that 
he  had  been  pressed  to  run  troops  to  Beaure- 
gard,  who  was  then  concentrating  every  avail- 
able man  at  Corinthr  in  anticipation  of  the  great 
battle  which  afterwards  took  place.  Thus 
foiled,  and  having  no  man  among  them  capable 
of  running  an  engine,  they  abandoned  the  enter- 
prise for  that  time,  and  quietly  stole  back  to  our 
lines.  Had  an  engineer  then  been  along,  they 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  been  successful, 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.        31 

as  the  obstacles  which  afterward  defeated  us  did 
not  then  exist. 

Our  camp  had  been  moved  onward  from  Mur- 
freesboro'  to  Shelbyville,  which  is  a  beautiful 
little  city,  situated  on  Duck  river.  We  camped 
above  the  town,  in  a  delightful  meadow. 

It  was  Sabbath,  the  6th  of  April,  and  the  earli- 
ness  of  the  clime  made  the  birds  sing,  and  the 
fields  bloom  with  more  than  the  brilliancy  of  May 
in  our  own  northern  land.  Deeply  is  the  quiet 
of  that  Sabbath,  with  the  green  beauty  of  the 
warm  spring  landscape,  pictured  on  my  mind ! 
An  impression,  I  know  not  what,  made  me  de- 
vote the  day  to  writing  letters  to  my  friends. 
It  was  well  I  did  so,  for  long  and  weary  months 
passed  ere  I  was  permitted  to  write  to  them 
again. 

But  while  the  day  was  passing  in  such  sweet 
repose  with  us,  it  was  far  different  in  another 
army ;  that  was  the  day  on  which  Grant  was 
surprised  by  Beauregard,  and  only  saved  from 
destruction  by  the  assistance  of  the  gunboats. 
This,  however,  we  did  not  learn  for  several  days 
after. 

On  Monday,  Andrews  returned  to  our  camp. 
He  had  spent  some  time  along  the  line  of  the 
Georgia  State  road,  and  on  his  return  reported 
to  General  Mitchel  that  the  scheme  was  still 


32  BAKING   AND   SUFFEKING  ;   OB 

feasible,  and  would  be  of  more  advantage  than 
ever.  He,  however,  asked  for  a  larger  detail 
of  men,  and  twenty-four  were  given  from  the 
three  Ohio  regiments  then  in  Sill's  Brigade. 
One  man  was  detailed  from  a  company,  though 
all  the  companies  were  not  represented,  and  I 
believe  in  two*  instances,  two  men  were  detailed 
from  one  company— they  were  probably  inti- 
mate friends,  who  wished  to  go  together. 

During  the  day,  I  saw  Andrews  in  the  camp. 
I  had  seen  him  frequently  before,  away  up  in 
the  mountains  of  eastern  Kentucky,  but  did  not 
then  observe  him  particularly.  Now  I  paid 
more  attention.  He  was  nearly  six  feet  in 
hight,  of  powerful  frame,  black  hair,  and  long, 
black,  silken  beard,  Roman  features,  a  high  and 
expansive  forehead,  and  a  voice  fine  and  soft  as 
a  woman's.  He  gave  me  the  impression  of  a 
man  who  combined  intellect  and  refinement 
with  the  most  cool  and  dauntless  courage.  Yet 
his  manner  and  speech,  which  was  slow  and 
pensive,  indicated  what  I  afterwards  found  to  be 
almost  his  only  fault — a  slowness  to  decide  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  and  back  his  decision 
by  prompt,  vigorous  action.  This  did  not  de- 
tract from  his  value  as  a  secret  agent,  when 
alone,  for  then  all  his  actions  were  premeditated, 

*  One  of  these  I  noticed  only  very  lately. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.        33 

and  carried  out  with  surpassing  coolness  and 
bravery  ;  but  it  did  unfit  him  for  the  command 
of  men,  in  startling  emergencies,  where  instant 
action  afforded  the  only  chance  of  safety.  This 
trait  of  character  will  be  more  fully  developed 
in  the  course  of  my  story.  I  conversed  with  him 
on  the  object  of  the  expedition,  not,  of  course, 
expecting  a  full  detail,  but  receiving  a  general 
idea.  I  put  particular  stress  on  his  promise, 
that  whatever  happened,  he  would  keep  us  all 
together,  and,  if  necessary,  we  would  cut  our 
way  through  in  a  body.  This  was  because, 
being  near-sighted,  and,  therefore,  a  bad  hand  to 
travel  in  a  strange  country,  with  no  guide,  I 
had  a  particular  horror  of  being  left  alone. 

I  returned  to  my  company,  and  procured  a 
suit  of  citizen's  clothes  from  our  boys  who  had 
been  out  before.  All  the  members  of  the  com- 
pany, seeing  me  so  arrayed,  came  around  to  try 
to  dissuade  me  from  the  enterprise,  which  to 
them  appeared  full  of  unknown  perils.  It  was 
gratifying  to  be  the  object  of  so  much  solicitude, 
but  having  decided  to  go,  I  could  not  yield. 

My  captain,  J.  F.  Sarra'tt,  of  Company  Gr, 
Second  Ohio,  as  brave  and  true-hearted  a  sol- 
dier as  ever  lived,  earnestly  entreated  me  not  to 
go ;  but  finding  my  determination  was  fixed,  he 
bade  me  an  affectionate  farewell.  Seldom  have 
3 


34  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

I  parted  with  more  emotion  from  any  one  than 
these  war-worn  veterans. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  we  left  camp,  and  started  for  the  place  of 
rendezvous  at  Shelby ville.  The  sun  was  shin- 
ing brightly,  and  the  bracing  evening  air  sent 
the  blood  coursing  cheerily  through  our  veins, 
and  inspired  us  with  the  brightest  hopes  of  the 
future.  Soon  we  reached  Shelbyville,  and  lin- 
gered there  for  an  hour  or  two,  when  Boss  and 
I,  acting  under  the  previous  direction  of  An- 
drews, started  out  of  town.  Our  orders  were 
for  us  all  to  proceed  along  the  road  in  small 
squads,  for  two  or  three  miles,  and  then  halt  and 
wait  for  him. 

We  walked  quietly  along,  until  about  dark, 
when,  seeing  none  of  the  others,  we  began  to 
grow  uneasy,  fearing  we  had  gone  on  the  wrong 
road.  We  met  several  persons,  but  they  could 
give  no  account  of  any  one  before  ;  then  we  saw 
a  house  just  by  the  road,  and  crossing  the  fence, 
went  up  to  it  to  get  a  drink  of  water.  Before 
we  reached  the  door,  a  do^  came  up  behind  my 
companion  and  bit  him — then  ran  away  before 
punishment  could  be  inflicted. 

The  bite  was  not  severe,  and  I  good-humor- 
edly  laughed  at  his  mishap ;  but  before  we  again 
reached  the  fence,  the  same  dog  came  once  more. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.        35 

Boss  saw  him,  and  sprang  over  the  fence ;  but  I 
had  only  time  to  reach  the  top  of  it,  where  I 
sat  in  fancied  security.  But  the  merciless  whelp, 
in  his  ire,  sprang  at  me,  seized  rny  coat,  and  tore 
a  large  piece  out  of  it !  That  coat,  thus  cur- 
tailed, I  wore  all  through  Dixie.  I  mention 
this  incident,  because  it  was  what  some  would 
call  a  bad  omen. 


36  CAKING  AND   SUFFERING)   OB 


CHAPTER    II. 

Midnight  Consultation — Plans  Developed — Money  Distri- 
buted—  Compagnons  du  Voyage — A  Dismal  Night — Shel- 
tered from  the  Storm — Southern  Unionist — Arrested  by 
Federal  Soldiers — Beyond  the  Lines — Panic  Caused  by 
Negroes — Method  of  Avoiding  Suspicion — Continuous 
Rain — Behind  Time — Hunting  Human  Beings  with 
Bloodhounds — The  Cumberland  Mountains — Rain  again. 

WE  now  proceeded  on  our  way — not  re- 
joicing, for  our  situation  grew  every  moment 
more  perplexing.  Darkness  was  falling  rapidly, 
and  not  one  of  our  comrades  was  visible.  We 
were  almost  certain  we  had  taken  the  wrong  road. 
Finally,  we  resolved  to  retrace  our  steps,  and  en- 
deavor to  obtain  some  clue  to  our  journey,  or  if 
we  could  not,  to  return  to  camp  ;  for,  without  in- 
struction, we  knew  not  how  or  where  to  go. 
We  therefore  retraced  our  steps  till  in  sight  of 
Shelby  ville,  and  then,  sure  that  none  could  pass 
without  our  knowledge,  we  waited  nearly  an 
hour  longer. 

Our  patience  was  rewarded.  A  few,  whom 
we  recognized  as  belonging  to  our  party,  came 
along  the  road ;  we  fell  in  with  them,  and  were 
soon  overtaken  by  others,  among  whom  was 


THE   GKEAT   EAILKOAD  ADVENTURE.        37 

Andrews.  Now  all  was  right.  Soon  we  were 
as  far  from  Shelby  ville  as  Eoss  and  I  had  been 
when  alone,  and  a  few  hundred  yards  further 
on  we  found  the  remainder  of  our  comrades. 

In  a  little  thicket  of  dead  and  withered  trees, 
sufficiently  open  to  assure  us  that  no  listening 
ear  was  near,  we  halted,  and  Andrews  revealed 
to  us  his  plans.  There  were  twenty-three 
gathered  around  him ;  twenty-four  had  been  de- 
tailed, but  from  some  cause,  one  had  failed  to 
report.  In  low  tones,  amid  the  darkness,  he 
gave  us  the  details  of  the  romantic  expedition. 

We  were  to  break  up  in  small  squads  of 
three  or  four,  and  travel  as  far  south  as  Chatta- 
nooga. If  questioned,  we  were  to  answer  so  as 
to  avoid  exciting  suspicion,  and  tell  any  plau- 
sible tale  that  might  answer  our  purpose. 

We  were  to  travel  rapidly,  and,  if  possible, 
reach  Chattanooga  on  Thursday  evening  at  five 
o'clock.  This  was  Monday,  and  the  distance 
was  one  hundred  and  three  miles,  a  heavy 
travel  on  foot ;  but  then  we  were  allowed  to 
hire  conveyances,  if  we  could. 

Andrews  then  gave  us  some  Confederate 
money  to  bear  our  expenses,  and  we  parted. 
There  were  three  others  with  me ;  P.  G.  Shad- 
rack,  of  Company  K,  Second  Ohio,  a  merry, 
reckless  fellow,  but  at  heart  noble  and  gene- 


38  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OB 

rous ;  William  Campbell,  a  citizen  of  Kentucky, 
who  had  received  permission  to  come  with  us, 
in  a  soldier's  place.  He  was  a  man  of  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  pounds  weight,  handsome  as 
Apollo,  and  of  immense  physical  strength,  which 
he  was  not  slow  to  use  when  roused,  though 
good-natured  and  clever  in  the  main. 

The  third  was  the  most  remarkable  man  of 
the  whole  party.  He  was  not  educated  highly, 
though  he  had  read  a  great  deal ;  but  in  natu- 
ral shrewdness,  I  rarely,  if  ever,  saw  his  equal. 
He  had  traveled  extensively  over  the  United 
States,  had  observed  everything,  and  remem- 
bered all  he  observed.  Had  he  lived,  the  com- 
position of  this  book  would  have  been  in  abler 
hands  than  mine.  In  addition  to  this,  he  ex- 
celled, perhaps,  even  Parson  Brownlow,  in  the 
fiery  and  scorching  denunciation  he  could  hurl 
on  the  head  of  an  opponent.  In  action  he  was 
brave  and  cool ;  no  danger  could  frighten  him, 
no  emergency  find  him  unprepared.  These 
were  my  companions. 

The  rain  had  begun  to  fall  slightly  as  we 
walked  out  the  railroad,  on  our  route,  and  soon 
it  increased  to  torrents.  The  night  was  pitchy 
dark,  and  we  stumbled  along,  falling  into  gut- 
ters here,  and  nearly  sticking  in  the  mud  there, 


THE    GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         39 

until  midnight,  when  we  resolved  to  seek  shel- 
ter from  the  storm. 

For  a  long  time  we  could  find  no  indication 
of  a  house,  until,  at  last,  the  barking  of  a  dog 
gave  us  a  clue.  After  some  dispute  as  to  which 
side  of  the  road  it  was  on,  we  struck  off  over  a 
field.  Our  only  guide  were  the  random  flashes 
of  lightning  that  gave  us  a  momentary  view  of 
the  country  around.  The  better  to  prosecute 
our  search,  we  formed  a  line  within  hearing  dis- 
tance of  each  other,  and  thus  swept  around  in 
all  directions.  At  last  we  found  a  barn,  but 
were  so  wet  and  chilly  that  we  resolved  to  hunt 
on,  in  the  hope  of  finding  a  fire  and  a  bed. 

After  a  still  more  tedious  search,  we  found 
the  goal  of  our  wishes.  It  was  a  rude,  double 
log-house.  Here  we  roused  up  the  inmates,  and 
demanded  a  shelter  for  the  night..  The  man  of 
the  house  was  evidently  alarmed^  but  let  us  in, 
and  then  commenced  questioning  us  as  to  who 
we  were. 

We  told  him  we  were  Kentuckians  who  were 
disgusted  with  the  tyranny  of  the  Lincoln 
Government,  and  were  seeking  an  asylum  in 
the  free  and  independent  South. 

"Oh,"  said  he,  uyou  come  on  a  bootless 
errand,  and  had  better  go  back  home,  for  I  have 


40  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

no  doubt  the  whole  of  the  South- will  soon  be 
as  much  under  Lincoln  as  Kentucky  is." 

"  Never  !"  we  answered,  "  we  will  fight  till  we 
die  first !" 

At  this  the  old  man  chuckled  quietly,  and 
only  said,  "  Well,  we'll  see ;  we'll  see,"  which 
closed  the  discussion. 

We  were  truly  glad  to  find  a  Union  man 
under  such  circumstances,  but  did  not  dare  to 
reveal  our  true  character  to  him,  and  he  proba- 
bly believes  to  this  day  that  he  harbored  some 
chivalric  Southerners.  However,  he  provided 
us  with  a  good  supper  and  a  comfortable  bed, 
promising,  also,  not  to  inform  the  Federal  pick- 
ets on  us.  The  next  morning,  the  sky  for  a 
time  was  clear,  but  it  soon  became  overcast,  and 
we  were  again  compelled  to  suffer  the  inevitable 
drenching  that  befel  us  every  day  of  this  dreary 
journey. 

We  reached  Wartrace  in  the  midst  of  a 
pelting  storm.  At  first  we  intended  to  go 
around  the  town,  as  it  was  the  last  station  on 
our  picket  line.  It  was  raining  so  hard  that  we 
thought  we  would  not  be  interrupted  in  passing 
through  it,  but  our  guards  were  too  vigilant  for 
us.  They  stopped  us,  and  after  being  for  some 
time  detained,  and  trying  to  play  off  the  inno- 
cent Southern  citizen,  as  hundreds  do,  we  were 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.        41 

obliged  to  reveal  our  true  character  to  the  com- 
manding officer  of  the  post,  which,  of  course, 
secured  our  release. 

Then  again,  we  traveled  onward  for  a  time, 
wading  the  swollen  creeks,  and  plodding  through 
the  mud  as  fast  as  we  could.  'We  were  now 
outside  of  our  lines,  with  nothing  to  trust  to 
but  the  tender  mercies  of  the  rebels.  Soon 
after,  we  found  what  a  slender  ground  of  trust 
that  was,  but  now  we  were  safe  in  the  complete- 
ness of  our  disguise. 

We  met  many  others  of  our  party,  and 
trudged  along — sometimes  in  company  with 
them,  but  oftener  alone.  Toward  evening,  we 
reached  Manchester,  crossed  Duck  river,  which 
was  at  flood  hight,  and  entered  the  town. 

Here  we  found  the  population  in  a  wild 
ferment,  and  on  inquiring  the  cause,  learned 
that  some  of  the  citizens  had  reported  an  ap- 
proaching band  of  Yankee  cavalry,  and  that 
they  were  even  now  visible  from  the  public 
square.  We  repaired  thither  with  all  speed  to 
witness  the  novel  spectacle  of  the  entrance  of 
National  troops  into  a  hostile  town,  from  a 
Southern  point  of  view.  Mingled  were  the 
emotions  expressed ;  fear  was  most  prominent, 
but  I  thought  I  could  detect  on  some  counte- 
nances a  half-concealed  smile  of  exultation. 


42  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

Soon  the  terrible  band  loomed  up  over  the  hill 
which  bounded  the  view,  when  lo !  the  dreaded 
enemies  were  seen  to  be  only  a  party  of  negroes, 
who  had  been  working  in  the  coal  mines  in  the 
mountains  somewhere.  Some  of  Mitchel's  men 
had  destroyed  the  works,  and  the  contrabands 
were  brought  here  for  safe  keeping.  The  feelings 
of  the  chivalry  may  be  better  imagined  than 
described,  as  they  dispersed  with  curses  on  the 
whole  African  race ! 

We  here  obtained  from  some  of  the  citizens  the 
names  of  the  most  prominent  secessionists  along 
the  route  we  were  to  travel,  who  would  be  most 
likely  to  help  us  on  to  that  blissful  land  where  we 
might  enjoy  our  rights  in  peace  (?)  undisturbed 
by  even  dreams  of  Abolitionists.  These  names 
were  a  great  advantage  to  us,  because  always 
having  some  one  to  inquire  for,  and  being  re- 
commended from  one  influential  man  to  another, 
it  was  taken  for  granted  that  we  were  trustwor- 
thy characters,  and  few  questions  asked.  That 
night  we  were  within  a  few  miles  of  Hills- 
boro',  but  so  much  were  we  delayed  by  the  rain, 
that  we  began  to  fear  we  could  not  reach  our 
destination  in  time.  My  feet,  too,  were  sore 
from  the  gravel  and  dirt  that  filled  my  shoes  in 
crossing  the  creeks,  and  wading  through  the 
mud,  and  already  we  were  weary  and  stiff  from 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         43 

traveling  in  the  wet.  But  we  resolved  to  press 
on,  and,  if  necessary,  to  travel  in  the  night, 
too,  rather  than  miss  our  appointment. 

Where  we  stayed  that  night,  I  first  heard  from 
the  lips  of  a  slave-owner  himself  of  hunting 
negroes  with  bloodhounds.  Our  host  said 
he  had  seen  some  one  dodging  around  the 
back  of  his  plantation,  by  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
just  as  it  was  getting  dark,  and  in  the  morning 
he  would  take  his  bloodhounds,  and  go  to  hunt 
him  up,  and  if  it  proved  to  be  a  negro,  he  would 
get  the  reward.  He  said  he  had  caught  great 
numbers  of  them,  and  seemed  to  regard  it  as  a 
highly  profitable  business. 

We.  of  course,  had  to  agree  with  him ;  but  -. 
well  remember  that  the  idea  of  hunting  human 
beings  with,  bloodhounds,  for  money,  sent  a 
thrill  of  horror  and  detestation  through  my 
veins.  Not  long  after,  we  found  that  blood- 
hounds were  not  for  negroes  alone. 

The  next  morning,  we  continued  our  journey, 
and  after  walking  three  miles,  found  a  man  who 
agreed,  for  an  exorbitant  price,  and  for  the  good 
of  the  Confederacy,  to  give  us  conveyance  in  a 
wagon  for  a  few  miles.  This  was  a  great  help 
to  us,  and  as  we  trotted  briskly  along,  we  soon 
came  in  sight  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains. 


44  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

Never  did  I  behold  more  beautiful  scenery. 
The  rain  had  for  a  short  time  ceased  to  fall,  and 
the  air  was  clear.  The  mountains  shone  in  the 
freshest  green,  and  around  their  tops,  just  high 
enough  to  veil  their  loftiest  summits,  clung  a 
soft,  shadowy  mist,  gradually  descending  lower, 
shrouding  one  after  another  of  the  spurs  and 
high  mountain  valleys  from  view.  But  the  beau- 
tiful scene  did  not  long  continue.  Soon  the 
mist  deepened  into  cloud,  and  again  the  inter- 
minable rain  began  to  fall.  To  add  to  our  dis- 
comforts, our  wagon  would  go  no  further,  and 
once  more  we  trudged  along  afoot. 

At  noon  we  stopped  for  dinner  at  a  house  be- 
longing to  one  of  the  "  sand-hillers.''  This  is 
the  general  name  applied  to  the  poor  class  of 
whites  at  the  South.  They  have  no  property  of 
their  own,  and  live  in  small  hovels,  on  the  worst 
portions  of  the  lands  of  the  rich.  Here  they 
lead  an  ignorant,  lazy  life,  devoting  most  of 
their  time  to  hunting  and  fishing ;  only  raising  a 
little  patch  of  corn  to  furnish  their  bread.  They 
are  almost  as  completely  owned  by  their  land- 
lords as  the  slaves,  and  are  compelled  to  vote  as 
their  masters  choose.  In  the  social  scale  they 
are  no  higher  than  any  slave,  nor  do  they  de- 
serve to  be,  for  their  intelligence  is  less.  The 


THE    GKEAT   RAILKOAD   ADVENTURE.         45 

term  " sand-hiller,"  or  "clay-eater,"  is  a  terrible 
one  of  reproach,  and  is  applied  unsparingly  by 
the  aristocrats.  Of  course,  our  entertainment 
here  was  composed  of  rather  rude  fare,  but  we 
ate  the  half-ground  and  half-baked  corn  bread, 
with  the  strong  pork,  and  went  on  our  way  re- 
joicing. 


46  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 


CHAPTEE    III. 

Crossing  the  Mountains — Playing  Hypocrite — Legend  of 
Battle-Creek  Valley — Lodged  with  a  Secessionist — 
Strategy — A  Welcome  but  Fatal  Delay — Exaggerated 
Accounts  of  Shiloh — Prevented  from  Crossing  the  Ten- 
nessee— In  the  Mountains  Again — Amusing  Rebel  Story 
— To  the  River  Again — Perilous  Crossing — Success — 
Chattanooga — On  the  Cars — Night — Arrive  at  Marietta. 

WE  were  near  the  foot  of  the  Cumberland 
Mountains,  and  addressed  ourselves  to  the  task 
of  crossing  them.  Just  as  we  were  mounting 
the  first  spur,  we  fell  in  with  a  Confederate  sol- 
dier, who  was  at  home  on  a  furlough.  He  had 
been  in  a  number  of  battles,  and  among  others 
the  first  Manassas,  which  he  described  very  mi- 
nutely to  me.  Little  did  he  think  that  I,  too, 
had  been  there,  as  we  laughed  together  at  the 
wild  panic  of  the  Yankees.  He  was  greatly  de- 
lighted to  see  so  many  Kentuckians  coming  out 
on  the  right  side,  and  contrasted  our  noble  con- 
duct with  that  of  some  persons  of  his  own  neigh- 
borhood, who  still  sympathized  with  the  Abo- 
litionists, 

When  we  parted,  he  grasped  my  hand  with 
tears  in  his  eyes,  and  said  he  hoped  "  the  time 
would  soon  come  when  we  would  be  comrades, 


THE   GEE  AT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         47 

fighting  side  by  side  in  one  glorious  cause." 
My  heart  revolted  from  the  hypocrisy  I  was 
compelled  to  use ;  but  having  commenced,  there 
was  no  possibility  of  turning  back. 

On  we  clambered  up  the  mountain  till  the  top 
was  reached ;  then  across  the  summit,  which 
was  a  tolerably  level  road  for  six  miles ;  then 
down  again,  over  steep  rocks,  yawning  chasms, 
aud  great  gullies ;  a  road  that  none  but  East 
Tennesseeans  or  soldier  Yankees  could  have 
traveled  at  all.  This  rough  jaunt  led  us  down 
into  Battle  Creek,  which  is  a  delightful,  pictu- 
resque valley,  hemmed  in  by  projecting  ridges 
of  lofty  mountains. 

While  here,  they  told  me  how  this  valley 
obtained  its  name,  which  is  certainly  a  very 
romantic  legend,  and  no  doubt  true. 

In  early  times  there  was  war  among  the 
Indians.  One  tribe  made  a  plundering  expedi- 
tion into  the  camp  of  another,  and  after  securing 
their  booty  retreated.  Of  course  they  were 
pursued,  and  in  their  flight  were  traced  to  this 
valley.  There  the  pursuers  believed  them  to  be 
concealed,  and  to  make  their  capture  sure, 
divided  their  force  into  two  bands,  each  one 
taking  an  opposite  side  of  the  valley. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning,  and  as  they 
wended  their  way  cautiously  onward,  the  moun- 


48  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

tain  mist  came  down  just  as  I  had  seen  it  de- 
scend that  morning,  and  enveloped  each  of  the 
parties  in  its  folds.  Determined  not  to  be 
foiled,  they  marched  on,  and  meeting  at  the 
head  of  the  valley,  each  supposed  the  other  to 
be  the  enemy.  They  poured  in  their  fire,  and  a 
deadly  conflict  ensued.  Not  till  nearly  all  their 
number  had  fallen  did  the  survivors  discover 
their  mistake,  and  they  slowly  and  sorrowfully 
returned  to  their  wigwams.  The  plunderers,  who 
had  listened  to  their  conflict  in  safety,  being  fur- 
ther up  the  mountains,  were  thus  left  to  carry 
home  their  booty  in  triumph. 

Biit  we  had  no  leisure  for  legendary  tales. 

The  sun  had  set,  and  we  stopped  for  the  night 
with  a  rabid  Secessionist,  whom  our  soldier- 
friend  on  the  mountain  had  recommended  to  us. 
He  received  us  with  open  arms,  shared  with  us 
the  best  his  house  afforded — giving  us  his  bed- 
room, and  sleeping  with  his  family  in  the  kit- 
chen. We  spent  the  evening -in  denouncing  the 
Abolitionists,  which  term  was  used  indiscrimi- 
nately to  designate  all  Federals  who  did  not 
advocate  the  acknowledgment  of  the  Confede- 
racy. This  did  not  go  quite  so  hard  as  it  did 
at  first,  for  practice  had  rendered  it  nearly  as  easy 
for  us  to  falsify  our  sentiments  as  to  express 
them  plainly. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.          49 

Among  other  things  we  instanced  to  show 
the  tyranny  of  the  Lincolnites  in  Kentucky, 
was  the  expatriation  law.  This  law  provides 
that  all  persons  aiding  or  abetting  the  rebels,  or 
leaving  the  State  and  going  South  with  their 
army,  shall  be  expatriated,  and  lose  all  their 
right  of  citizenship  in  the  State.  The  old  man 
thought  this  was  an  act  of  unparallete(J  oppres- 
sion; and  in  the  morning,  before  I  was  out  of 
bed,  came  in  the  room,  and  desired  that  some 
one  of  us  would  write  that  law  down,  that  he 
might  show  his  Union  neighbors  what  the  Yan- 
kees would  do  when  they  l;ad  the  sway.  I 
wrote  it,  and  we  all  afterward  signed  our  names 
to  it.  No  doubt  that  document  has  been  the 
theme  of  many  angry  discussions. 

So  thoroughly  did  we  deceive  the  old  man, 
that  when,  three  days  after,  the  railroad  adven- 
ture fell  on  the  astonished  Confederates  like  a 
clap  of  thunder  out  of  a  clear  sky,  he  would 
not  believe  that  we  were  part  of  the  men  en- 
gaged in  it.  One  of  his  neighbors,  who  was  a 
Union  man,  and  was  arrested  and  confined  in 
the  same  prison  with  us,  told  us  that  to  the 
last  our  host  maintained  that  his  guests,  at 
least,  were  true  and  loyal  Southerners.  Should 
I  ever  again  be  in  that  part  of  the  country,  I 
would  delight  to  call  on  him  in  my  true  character, 
4 


50  DAKING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

and  talk  over  the  national  troubles  from  another 
point  of  view. 

We  stayed  with  him  Wednesday  night,  and 
were  still  a  long  way  from  Chattanooga.  We 
had  designed,  notwithstanding  our  weariness,  to 
travel  all  that  night,  but  accidentally  met  some 
of  our  comrades  who  had  seen  Andrews,  who 
informed  them  that  he  had  postponed  the  enter- 
prise one  day  longer.  This  was  a  great  relief, 
as  it  saved  us  a  most  wearisome  and  dreaded 
night  tramp.  But  better  to  have  taken  it,  for 
the  delay  of  that  one  day  was  fatal.  On  Friday 
there  would  have  been  no  extra  trains  to  meet, 
and  our  success  would  have  been  sure.  But 
this  we  did  not  know  at  the  time. 

The  next  day,  which  was  Thursday,  we  came 
to  Jasper,  stopped  in  the  town  and  around  the 
groceries  awhile,  talking  of  the  state  of  the 
country.  We  told  them  Kentucky  was  just 
ready  to  rise  and  shake  off  her  chains,  and  they 
were  just  foolish  enough  to  believe  it ! 

Here  we  heard  the  first  indistinct  rumor  of 
the  battle  of  Shiloh — of  course,  a  wonderful 
victory  to  the  rebels,  killing  thousands  of  Yan- 
kees, and  capturing  innumerable  cannon.  It 
was  the  impression  that  our  army  was  totally 
destroyed.  One  countryman  gravely  assured 
me  that  five  hundred  gunboats  had  been  sunk. 


THE    GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         51 

I  told  him  I  did  not  think  the  Yankees  had  so 
many  as  that,  but  was  unable  to  shake  his 
faith. 

That  night  we  stayed  at  Widow  Hall's,  and 
there  met  Andrews  and  some  of  our  other  com- 
rades. This  was  on  the  banks  of  the  Tennes- 
see river,  and  Andrews  advised  us  to  cross 
there,  and  to  take  passage  on  the  cars  at  Shell 
Mound  station,  as  there  had  been  a  stringent 
order  issued  to  let  no  one  cross  above,  who  could 
not  present  perfectly  satisfactory  credentials. 
Andrews  had  these,  but  we  had  not ;  it  was, 
therefore,  advisable  for  us  to  be  challenged  as 
few  times  as  possible.  We  passed  a  pleasant 
evening,  during  which  the  wit  of  my  friend 
Shadrack  kept  us  in  a  continual  roar  of  laughter. 

At  last  morning  came,  and  we  went  down  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  to  cross.  The  ferryman 
had  just  swung  the  boat  into  the  stream,  and  we 
were  getting  into  it,  when  a  man  arrived  with 
positive  orders  from  the  military  authorities  to 
let  no  one  across  for  three  days. 

Affairs  now  looked  dark.  We  could  not 
cross  except  at  the  upper  ferries,  and  not  there 
unless  our  credentials  were  good.  However,  we 
resolved  to  persevere,  and  thinking  in  this  case, 
as  in  many  others,  the  boldest  plan  would  be 
the  safest,  we  again  struck  over  the  wild  spurs 


52  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OB 

of  the* Cumberland,  which  here  sweep  directly 
down  to  the  river,  on  in  the  direction  of  Chat- 
tanooga, with  the  intention  of  trying  to  cross 
there,  at  headquarters. 

Our  journey  was  far  from  a  pleasant  one, 
and  several  times  we  lost  our  road  in  the  en- 
tanglements of  the  mountains ;  but  at  last  we 
reached  a  valley  that  ran  directly  down  to  the 
river,  opposite  Chattanooga.  Here  the  road 
was  more  frequented,  and  from  the  travelers  we 
met  we  learned  further  particulars  of  the  battle 
of  Shiloh.  Still  the  accounts  were  rose-tinted 
for  the  Confederates,  though  they  now  admitted 
a  considerable  loss. 

One  man  gave  me  an  interesting  item  of  news 
from  the  East ;  it  was,  that  the  Ifterrimac  had 
steamed  out,  and  after  engaging  the  Monitor  for 
some  time  with  no  decisive  results,  had  ran 
alongside,  and  throwing  grappling-hooks  on  her, 
towed  her  ashore,  where,  of  course,  she  fell  an 
easy  prey.  He  said  that  now  they  had  the  two 
best  gunboats  in  the  world,  and  they  would  be 
able  to  raise  the  blockade  without  difficulty,  and 
even  to  burn  the  Northern  cities.  But  I  have 
not  space  to  tell  of  all  the  wild  chimeras  and 
absurd  stories  that  we  heard  on  our  entrance 
into  a  land  where  truth  always  has  been  contra- 
band. From  that  time  forward,  we  heard  of 


THE   GKBAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.        53 

continuous  Confederate  victories,  and  not  one 
Union  triumph,  till  in  September,  when  they 
admitted  that  they  were  repulsed  by  Kose- 
crans  at  Corinth. 

On  reaching  the  river,  we  found  a  great  num- 
ber of  persons  on  the  bank  waiting  to  go  over. 
The  ferryman  was  there  with  a  horse-boat,  but 
the  wind  was  so  high  that  he  feared  to  attempt 
the  crossing.  We  waited  as  patiently  as  we 
could,  though  the  time  for  the  cars  to  start  on 
the  other  side  had  nearly  arrived,  and  we  could 
not  well  afford  to  miss  them.  At  length,  the 
ferryman  agreed  to  attempt  the  passage.  He 
found  it  very  difficult.  We  were  about  an  hour 
in  crossing,  though  the  river  was  only  a  few 
hundred  yar^s  in  width.  Several  times  we 
were  beaten  back  to  our  own  side,  but  at  last 
perseverance  conquered,  and  we  landed  at  Chat- 
tanooga. 

The  passage  was  an  anxious  one,  for  we  ex- 
pected to  find  the  guard  waiting  for  us  on  the 
other  side ;  and  then,  if  we  failed  to  satisfy  them 
that  we  were  loyal  subjects  of  King  Jefferson, 
we  would  at  once  land  in  a  Southern  prison. 
Judge,  then,  of  our  delight  when  we  saw  no 
guard  there,  and  were  permitted  to  pass  un- 
molested and  unquestioned  on  our  route. 

I  do  not  yet  know  the  reason  of  this  sudden 


54  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

relaxation  of  vigilance.  Perhaps  it  was  be- 
cause all  their  attention  was  directed  to  Hunts- 
ville,  which  was  now  occupied  in  force  by  Gene- 
ral Mitchel.  The  panic  produced  by  this  occu- 
pation was  immense,  as  the  only  communication 
it  left  them  with  Beauregard  was  by  the  circui- 
tous route  through  Atlanta,  and  when,  the  next 
day,  this  too  was  endangered,  their  excitement 
knew  no  bounds. 

Chattanooga  is  a  small  town — not  much  more 
than  a  village.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tennessee,  and  is  bowered  in 
amidst  lofty  mountain  peaks.  One  of  these 
hangs  right  over  the  town,  and  is  more  than 
seven  hundred  feet  in  perpendicular  hight. 
From  its  summit  parts  of  four  States  are  visible 
— Tennessee,  Georgia,  Alabama;  and  North 
Carolina.  It  is  capable  of  being  very  strongly 
fortified ;  and  though  there  were  no  works 
erected  when  I  was  there,  many  may  have  been 
built  since.  It  is  one  of  the  most  important 
strategic  points  in  the  whole  South,  and  should 
have  been  in  the  possession  of  our  forces  long 
ago. 

From  the  river  we  went  directly  to  the  depot. 
Some  of  our  party  had  arrived  earlier,  and  gone 
down  to  Marietta  on  a  former  train.  We  found 
the  cars  nearly  ready  to  start>  and  after  loitering 


THE    GREAT    RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         55 

around  a  few  minutes  in  the  depot,  which  was 
crowded  full  of  travelers — mostly  soldiers — we 
purchased  our  tickets  and  got  aboard.  The 
cars  were  jammed  full.  There  was  scarcely 
room  to  stand.  Many  of  the  passengers  were 
soldiers  who  had  been  at  home  on  furlough,  and 
were  returning  to  join  Beauregard.  The  con- 
versation was  mostiy  on  the  great  battle  which 
had  just  been  fought,  and  the  accounts  were  by 
no  means  so  glowing  as  they  had  been  at  first ; 
still  they  announced  a  great  victory.  "We  took 
part  in  the  conversation,  and  expressing  as  much 
interest  as  any  one,  our  true  character  was  not 
suspected.  There  was  at  this  time  no  system  of 
passports  in  use  on  that  line,  and  travel  was  en- 
tirely unrestricted. 

The  sun  was  about  an  hour  high  as  we  glided 
out  of  the  depot,  and  soon  sunk  to  rest  behind 
the  hills  of  Georgia.  There  were  many  bridges 
on  the  road,  and  as  we  passed  over  them,  we 
could  not  help  picturing  to  ourselves  our  pro- 
posed return  on  the  morrow,  and  the  probabili- 
ties of  the  destruction  we  intended  to  wreck  on 
them.  Darkness  gradually  closed  in,  and  on  we 
went  amid  the  laughter  and  oaths  of  the  Con- 
federates, many  of  whom  were  very  much  in- 
toxicated. I  procured 'a  seat  on  the  coal-box, 
and  for  awhile  gave  myself  up  to  the  reflections 


56  DARINGf  AND   SUFFERING;   OE 

naturally  suggested  by  the  near  culmination  of 
the  enterprise  in  which  I  was  engaged.  Visions 
of  former  days  and  friends — dear  friends,  both 
around  the  camp-fire  and  by  the  hearth  of  home, 
whom  I  might  never  see  again,  floated  before 
me.  But  gradually,  as  the  night  wore  on,  these 
faded,  and  I  slept. 

At  midnight,  we  were  wakened  by  the  con- 
ductor calling  "Marietta."  The  goal  was 
reached.  We  were  in  the  center  of  the  Confe- 
deracy, with  our  deadly  enemies  all  around. 
Before  we  left,  we  were  to  strike  a  blow  that 
would  either  make  all  rebeldom  vibrate  to  the 
center,  or  be  ourselves  at  the  mercy  of  the  mer- 
ciless. It  was  a  time  for  solemn  thought ;  but 
we  were  too  weary  to  indulge  in  speculations  of 
the  future.  We  retired  to  bed  in  the  Tremont 
House,  and  were  soon  folded  in  sweet  slumbers 
• — the  last  time  we  slept  on  a  bed  for  many 
weary  months. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         57 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Take  an  Early  Train — Prospecting — Capture  of  the 
Train — Panic  in  Confederate  Camp — Away  at  Light- 
ning Speed — Thrilling  Experience — Cut  the  Telegraph — 
Tear  up  the  Track — Unexpected  Obstacle — Running  a 
Powder  Train  to  Beauregard — Red  Flag — Dropping 
Cross-Ties — Battering  out  Spikes — Immense  Exertion  of 
Strength — Pursuing  Backward — Terrible  Chase — At- 
tempt to  Wreck  the  Enemy's  Train — Fearful  Speed — 
Bold  Plan. 

THE  waiter  aroused  us  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  as  we  told  him  we  wished  to  take  the 
train  at  that  hour  back  to  Camp  McDonald, 
which  is  located  at  a  place  called  Big  Shanty, 
eight  miles  north  of  Marietta,  and  is  also  a 
breakfast  station.  Andrews  had  gone  to  an- 
other hotel,  and  warned  the  members  of  the 
party  there  to  be  in  readiness  to  take  passage. 
Two  of  them,  Hawkins  and  Porter,  who  had 
arrived  earlier,  were  not  warned,  and  were, 
therefore,  left  behind.  It  was  not  their  fault,  as 
they  had  no  certain  knowledge  of  the  time  we 
were  to  start,  but  rather  thought  it  would  be 
the  next  day. 

There  were  just  twenty  of  us  on  the  train, 
Andrews  and  nineteen  others,  of  whom  several 


58  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

-were  engineers.  We  went  along  very  quietly 
and  inoffensively,  just  as  any  other  passengers 
would  do,  until  we  reached  Big  Shanty.  I 
knew  that  we  were  to  take  possession  of  the 
train  at  this  place,  but  did  not  just  know  how  it 
was  to  be  done.  I  thought  we  would  probably 
have  to  fight,  and  compel  the  conductor, 
train-hands,  and  passengers  to  get  off.  We 
might  have  done  this,  but  it  would  have  re- 
quired very  quick  work,  for  there  were  then 
some  ten  thousand  troops,  mostly  conscripts, 
camped  there,  and  a  guard  was  placed  watching 
the  train.  But  a  far  better  plan  was  adopted. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived,  the  engineer,  conduc- 
tor, and  many  of  the  passengers  went  over  to 
the  eating-house.  Now  was  our  opportunity! 
Andrews,  and  one  or-  two  others,  went  forward 
and  examined  the  track,  to  see  if  everything 
was  in  readiness  for  a  rapid  start. 

Oh !  what  a  thrilling  moment  was  that !  Our 
hearts  throbbed  thick  and  fast  with  emotions  we 
dared  not  manifest  to  those  who  were  loafing 
indifferently  around.  In  a  minute,  which 
seemed  an  hour,  Andrews  came  back,  opened 
the  door,  and  said,  very  quietly  and  carelessly, 
"Let  us  go,  now,  boys."  Just  as  quietly  and 
carelessly  we  arose  and  followed  him.  The 
passengers  who  were  lazily  waiting  for  the  train 


THE   GREAT   EAILEOAD  ADVENTURE.         59 

to  move  on  and  carry  them  to  their  destination, 
saw  nothing  in  the  transaction  to  excite  their 
suspicions.  Leisurely  we  moved  forward — 
reached  the  head  of  the  train — then  Andrews, 
Brown  our  engineer,  and  Knight,  who  also 
could  run  an  engine,  leaped  on  the  locomotive  ; 
Alfred  Wilson  took  the  top  of  the  cars  as 
brakesman,  and  the  remainder  of  us  clambered 
into  the  foremost  baggage  car,  which,  with  two 
others,  had  been  previously  uncoupled  from  the 
hinder  part  of  the  train.  For  one  moment  of 
most  intense  suspense  all  was  still — then  a  pull — 
a  jar — a  clang — and  we  were  flying  away  on  our 
perilous  journey. 

There  are  times  in  the  life  of  man  when 
whole  years  of  intensest  enjoyment  seem  con- 
densed into  a  single  moment.  It  was  so  with 
me  then.  I  could  comprehend  the  emotion  of 
Columbus,  when  he  first  beheld  through  the 
dim  dawn  of  morning,  the  new  found,  but  long 
dreamed-of  shores  of  America,  or  the  less  inno- 
cent, but  no  less  vivid  joy  of  Cortez,  when  he 
first  planted  the  cross  of  Spain  over  the  golden 
halls  of  Montezuma.  My  breast  throbbed 
full  with  emotions  of*  delight  and  gladness, 
that  words  labor  in  vain  to  express.  A  sense 
of  ethereal  lightness  ran  through  all  my  veins, 
and  I  seemed  to  be  ascending  higher — higher — 


60  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

into  realms  of  inexpressible  bliss,  with  each 
pulsation  of  the  engine.  It  was  a  moment  of 
triumphant  joy  that  will  never  return  again. 
Not  a  dream  of  failure  now  shadowed  my  rap- 
ture. All  had  told  us  that  the  greatest  difficulty 
was  to  reach  and  take  possession  of  the  engine, 
and  after  that,  success  was  certain.  It  would 
have  been,  but  for"  unforeseen  contingencies. 

Away  we  scoured,  passing  field,  and  village, 
and  woodland.  At  each  leap  of  the  engine  our 
hearts  rose  higher,  and  we  talked  merrily  of  the 
welcome  that  would  greet  us  when  we  dashed 
into  Huntsville  a  few  hours  later — our  enter- 
prise done,  and  the  brightest  laurels  of  the 
guerilla  Morgan  far  eclipsed ! 

But  the  telegraph  ran  by  our  side,  and  was 
able,  by  the  flashing  of  a  single  lightning  mes- 
sage ahead,  to  arrest  our  progress  and  dissipate 
all  our  fondest  hopes.  There  was  no  telegra- 
phic station  where  we  took  the  train,  but  we  knew 
not  how  soon  our  enemies  might  reach  one,  or 
whether  they  might  not  have  a  portable  battery 
at  command.  To  obviate  all  danger  on  this 
point,  we  stopped,  after  running  some  four  miles, 
to  cut  the  wire. 

John  Scott,  an  active  young  man,  climbed  the 
pole,  and  with  his  hand  knocked  off  the  insu- 
lated box  at  the  top,  and  swung  down  on  the 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         61 

wire.  Fortunately,  there  was  a  small  saw  on 
the  engine,  with  which  the  wire  was  soon  severed. 
While  this  was  being  done,  another  party  took 
up  a  rail,  and  put  it  into  the  car  to  carry  off 
with  us.  This  did  not  long  check  our  pursuers, 
but  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  learning  that  it 
threw  them  down  an  embankment,  as  will  be 
narrated  more  fully  in  a  Confederate  account 
inserted  hereafter. 

When  the  engine  first  stopped,  Andrews 
jumped  off,  clasped  our  hands  in  ecstasy,  con- 
gratulating us  that  our  difficulties  were  now  all 
over ;  that  we  had  the  enemy  at  such  a  disad- 
vantage that  he  could  not  harm  us,  and  exhi- 
bited every  sign  of  joy.  Said  he,  "  Only  one 
more  train  to  pass,  and  then  we  will  put  our  en- 
gine to  full  speed,  burn  the  bridges  after  us, 
dash  through  Chattanooga,  and  on  to  Mitchel  at 
Hunts  ville."  The  programme  would  have  been 
filled  if  we  had  met  only  one  train. 

We  were  ahead  of  time,  and  in  order  to  meet 
the  down  train  just  on  time,  we  were  obliged  to 
stop  on  the  track  awhile.  These  were  tedious 
moments  while  we  waited,  but  soon  we  moved 
on  very  slowly  again.  At  the  next  station, 
Andrews  borrowed  a  schedule  from  the  tank- 
tender,  telling  him  that  he  was  running  an  ex- 
press powder-train  through  to  Beauregard.  He 


62  DARING   AND    SUFFERING;    OR 


gave  the  schedule,  saying  that  he  would  send 
his  shirt  to  Beauregard  if  he  wanted  it.  When 
asked  afterwards  if  he  did  not  suspect  anything, 
he  said  he  would  as  soon  have  thought  of  sus- 
pecting Jeff  Davis,  as  one  who  talked  with  so 
much  assurance  as  Andrews  did  ! 

On  we  went  till  we  reached  the  station  where 
we  were  to  pass  what  we  believed  to  be  the  last 
train.  Here  the  switch  was  not  properly  ad- 
justed, and  Andrews  entered  the  station-house, 
without  asking  leave  of  anybody,  took  down 
the  keys,  and  adjusted  the  switch.  This  raised 
some  disturbance  on  the  part  of  those  around 
the  station,  but  it  was  quieted  by  telling  them 
the  same  powder  story.  After  waiting  a  short 
time,  the  down  train  arrived,  and  we  passed  it 
without  difficulty.  But  we  observed  on  it  what 
we  did  not  like — a  red  flag,  indicating  that  an- 
other train  was  behind. 

This  was  most  discouraging,  for  we  had  now 
hoped  to  have  the  road  exclusively  to  our- 
selves ;  but  still  we  did  not  despair.  However, 
we  had  yet  to  run  on  regular  time,  which  was, 
unfortunately,  very  slow  time — not  more  than 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  an  hour.  Thus  unavoid- 
ably consuming  our  precious  moments,  we  glided 
on  till  we  reached  the  station  where  we  expected 
to  meet  what  we  were  now  sure  would  be  our 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         63 

last  hindrance.  "We  stopped  on  a  side-track  to 
wait  for  it,  and  there  had  to  remain  twenty -five 
minutes.  Just  as  we  had  concluded  to  go  on,  and 
risk  the  chances  of  a  collision,  the  expected 
train  hove  in  sight. 

It  was  safely  passed,  as  the  other  had  been 
before ;  but  judge  of  our  dismay  when  we  be- 
held a  red  flag  on  this  train  also  !  Matters  now 
began  to  look  dark.  Much  of  our  precious 
time,  which  we  had  reserved  as  a  margin  for 
burning  bridges,  was  now  gone,  and  we  were 
still  tied  down  to  the  slow  regular  rate  of  run- 
ning. Yet  we  cojild  not  retreat,  and  had  no" 
resource  but  to  press  firmly  on.  This  we  Tlid, 
and  obstructed  the  track  a^,  well  as  we  could,  by 
laying  on  cross-ties  at  different  places.  We 
also  cut  the  telegraph  w'ire  between  every  sta- 
tion. 

Finally,  when  we  were  nearly  to  the  station 
where  we  expected  to  meet  the  last  train,  we 
stopped  to  take  up  a  rail.  We  had  no  instru- 
ments for  doing  this,  except  a  crowbar,  and, 
instead  of  pulling  out  the  spikes,  as  we  could 
have  done  with  the  pinch  burrs  used  for  that 
purpose  by  railroad  men,  we  had  to  latter  them 
out.  This  was  slow  work.  We  had  loosened 
this  rail  at  one  end,  and  eight  of  us  took  hold 
of  it  to  try  to  pull  the  other  end  loose.  Just  as 


64  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

we  were  going  to  relinquish  the  effort  in 
despair,  the  whistle  of  an  engine  in  pursuit  sounded 
in  our  ears !  The  effect  was  magical.  With 
one  convulsive  effort  we  broke  the  rail  in  two, 
and  tumbled  pell-mell  over  the  embankment. 
No  one  was  hurt,  and  we  took  up  our  precious 
half  rail,  which  insured  us  time  to  pass  the 
train  ahead,  before  our  pursuers  could  be 
upon  us. 

We  were  not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  we 
were  scarcely  out  of  sight  of  where  we  had 
taken  up  the  last  rail,  before  the  other  train 
met  us.  This  was  safely  passed,  and  when  our 
pursuers  came  to  the  place  where  we  had 
broken  the  rail,  they  abandoned  their  own 
train,  and  ran  on  foot  till  they  met  the  one  we 
had  just  passed,  and  turned  it  back  after  us, 
running  with  great  speed. 

We  were  now  aware  of  our  danger,  and 
adopted  every  expedient  we  could  think  of  to 
delay  pursuit ;  but,  as  we  were  cutting  the  wire 
near  Calhoun,  they  came  in  sight  of  us.  Then 
ensued  the  most  terrible  and  thrilling  chase 
ever  known  on  the  American  continent. 

We  instantly  put  our  engine  to  full  speed, 
and  in  a  moment  its  wheels  were  striking  fire 
from  the  rails  in  their  rapid  revolutions.  The 
car  in  which  we  were,  rocked  furiously,  and 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         65 

threw  us  from  one  side  to  the  other  like  peas 
rattled  in  a  gourd.  Still  on  after  us  relentlessly 
came  the  pursuers.  The  smoke  of  their  engine 
could  be  distinguished  in  every  long  reach,  and 
the  scream  of  their  whistle  sounded  in  our 
ears  around  every  curve.  It  was  still  neces- 
sary for  us  to  cut  the  wire,  and,  in  order  to 
gain  time  for  that,  we  dropped  a  car  on  the 
track,  and,  soon  after,  another.  This  left  us 
with  only  the  locomotive,  tender,  and  one  bag- 
gage-car. Each  time,  when  we  stopped  to  cut 
the  wire,  we  would  try  to  take  up  another  rail ; 
but  before  we  could  loosen  its  fastenings  with 
our  imperfect  tools,  the  approach  of  our  ene- 
mies would  compel  us  to  hasten  on. 

The  thought  of  a  new  expedient  crossed  my 
mind,  which  saved  us  for  some  time  longer.  It 
was  to  knock  out  the  end  of  our  car,  and  drop 
the  rails  on  the  track  as  we  ran.  Soon  after, 
in  one  of  our  necessary  stoppages  to  take  care 
of  the  telegraph,  we  loaded  on  some  cross  ties, 
which  we  threw  out  in  the  same  manner.  One 
rail  I  reserved  for  a  particular  purpose.  When 
we  stopped  again,  I  took  it,  placed  one  end 
under  the  track,  and  let  the  other  project  up- 
ward, jointing  toward  the  advancing  train.  It 
was  very  nearly  effectual.  The  engineer  of  the 
train  in  pursuit,  who  afterward  visited  us  in 
5 


66  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

prison,  said  that  if  it  had  been  only  one  inch 
higher,  nothing  could  have  saved  their  train 
from  wreck,  because,  being  so  dark  and  small, 
it  was  not  noticed  till  too  ]ate  to  stop.  How- 
ever, it  was  a  little  too  low  to  hook  in  the  bars 
of  the  cow-catcher,  as  I  intended. 

Our  enemies  pursued  us  with  great  determi- 
nation. One  man  rode  on  the  cow-catcher,  and, 
springing  off,  would  throw  the  obstructions 
from  the  track,  and  jump  on  again  while  they 
had  merely  checked  the  engine.  So  great  was 
our  velocity,  that  most  of  the  ties  we  threw  out 
bounced  off  the  track;  but  the  few  that  re- 
mained enabled  us  several  times  to  get  out  of 
sight  of  them.  "When  this  was  the  case,  we 
would  stop,  and  again  try  to  take  up  a  rail, 
which  would  have  given  us  leisure  for  the 
greater  operation  of  burning  a  bridge. 

By  this  time  we  had  a  few  more  instruments, 
which  Andrews  and  Wilson  had  simultaneously 
procured  from  a  switch  tender.  We  worked 
faithfully,  but  each  time,  before  we  had  loosened 
a  rail,  the  inexorable  pursuers  were  again 
visible. 

I  then  proposed  to  Andrews  a  plan  that  af- 
forded a  hope  of  final  escape.  It  was  to  let  our 
engineer  take  our  engine  on  out  of  sight,  while 
we  hid  on  a  curve  after  putting  a  tie  on  the 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         67 

track,  and  waited  for  the  pursuing  train  to 
come  up ;  then,  when  they  checked  to  remove 
the  obstruction,  we  could  rush  on  them,  shoot 
every  person  on  the  engine,  reverse  it,  and  let 
it  drive  at  will  back  as  it  came.  It  would  have 
chased  all  the  trains  following,  of  which  there 
were  now  two  or  three,  back  before  it,  and 
thus  have  stopped  the  whole  pursuit  for  a  time. 
This  would  have  required  quick  work,  and  have 
been  somewhat  dangerous,  as  the  trains  were 
now  loaded  with  soldiers;  but  it  afforded  a 
chance  of  success.  Andrews  said  it  was  a  good 
plan — looked  all  around,  and  then  hurried  to 
the  engine,  and  I  had  no  further  opportunity 
of  discussing  the  subject.  After  we  were  in 
prison,  he  said  he  was  very  sorry  that  we  had 
not  made  the  effort. 


68  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 


CHAPTEE    V. 

Consternation  Along  the  Route — Wood  and  Water — At- 
tempt to  Fire  the  Train — Partial  Failure — Message  Sent 
to  Chattanooga — Terrific  Preparations — Abandon  the 
Train— A  Capital  Error— In  the  Woods— A  Thrilling  Ac- 
count of  the  Chase  from  the  Atlanta  "Southern  Con- 
federacy. ' ' 

ALL  this  time  we  were  rushing  through 
towns  and  villages  at  terrific  speed.  Some  pas- 
sengers came  down  when  they  heard  our 
whistle,  to  go  aboard,  but  they  all  shrank  back 
amazed  when  they  saw  us  pass  with  the  noise 
of  thunder,  and  the  speed  of  lightning.  Still 
more  were  they  astonished  when  they  saw 
three  other  trains  dashing  by  in  close  pursuit, 
and  loaded  with  excited  soldiers.  Thus  the 
break-neck  chase  continued  through  Dalton, 
Kinggold,  and  the  other  small  towns  on  the 
route. 

But  it  soon  became  evident  that  it  could  not 
continue  much  longer.  We  had  taken  on  wood 
and  water  before  we  were  so  closely  pressed, 
but  now  our  supply  was  nearly  exhausted,  and 
our  pursuers  were  too  close  behind  to  permit  us 
to  replenish  it.  But  before  yielding,  we  re- 
solved to  try  one  more  expedient. 


THE   GKEAT   KAILROAD  ADVENTUKE.         69 

For  this  purpose,  we  broke  open  the  forward 
end  of  the  only  box-car  we  had  left,  and  with 
the  fragments  endeavored  to  kindle  a  fire  in  it. 
Had  we  succeeded,  we  would  have  detached 
it,  left  it  burning  on  a  bridge,  and  run  on  with 
the  locomotive  alone.  But  the  fuel  on  the  lat- 
ter was  too  nearly  gone  to  afford  us  kindling 
wood,  and  the  draught  through  the  car,  caused 
by  our  rapid  motion,  blew  our  matches  out. 
At  length  we  succeeded  in  kindling  a  small 
fire ;  but  the  drizzling  rain,  which  had  been  fall- 
ing all  morning,  blew  in  on  it,  and  prevented  it 
from  burning  rapidly  enough  to  be  of  any 
service. 

Thus  our  last  hope  expired,  and  our  magni- 
ficent scheme,  on  which  we  had  so  long  thought 
and  toiled,  was  a  failure.  But  one  thing  more 
now  remained — to  save  ourselves,  if  possible. 

We  were  within,  perhaps,  fifteen  miles  of 
Chattanooga,  when  we  resolved  to  abandon  the 
engine.  Having  made  this  resolve,  we  did  not 
cut  the  telegraph  wire,  and  then,  for  the  first 
time,  they  succeeded  in  sending  a  message 
ahead  of  us. 

This  was  no  serious  detriment  to  us,  but  it 
raised  the  wildest  excitement  in  Chattanooga. 
The  women  and  children  instantly  fled  from 
the  town,  and  sought  safety  in  the  woods  and 


fO  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

mountains.  The  whole  military  force,  which 
was  encamped  near  the  place,  came  out,  and 
selected  an  advantageous  position  to  meet  us. 
There  they  planted  cannon,  felled  trees  across 
the  track,  tore  up  the  rails  for  some  distance, 
and  waited  for  our  approach.  Their  orders 
were  for  them  to  make  a  general  massacre — 
not  to  spare  a  single  man.  But  we  came  not, 
and  therefore  they  had  no  opportunity  to  dis- 
play their  latent  cruelty. 

It  was  at  this  point,  when  he  saw  every 
scheme  we  attempted  to  execute  completely 
foiled,  that  Andrews'  presence  of  mind,  for  a 
time,  seemed  to  desert  him.  It  was  only  fifteen 
miles  across  the  country  to  the  Tennessee  river, 
and  we  could  have  reached  it  ahead  of  any  oppo- 
sition, had  we  all  stuck  together.  One  man  had 
a  compass,  and  with  that,  and  Andrews'  know- 
ledge of  the  country,  we  could  have  gained,  and 
crossed  the  Tennessee,  and  struck  into  the 
mountains  beyond,  before  the  country  could  have 
been  aroused  around  us.  Once  there,  in  those 
interminable  forests,  it  would  have  been  almost 
impossible  for  them  to  capture  us,  well  armed 
as  we  were,  before  we  could  have  reached  the 
shelter  of  our  army.  But  this  was  not  done, 
and  this  last  chance  of  escape  was  lost. 

The  locomotive  was  run  on  till  the  wood  and 


THE   GKEAT   KAILEOAD   ADVENTUKE.         71 

v/ater  were  completely  exhausted,  and  the  pur- 
p  uers  plainly  'in  view.  Then  Andrews  gave  the 
order  for  us  to  leave  the  train,  disperse,  and  for 
every  man  to  save  himself,  if  he  could.  We 
obeyed,  jumping  off  the  train  while  still  in  mo- 
tion, and  were  soon  making  the  best  of  our  way 
through  the  tangled  pines  of  Georgia. 

Before  giving  an  account  of  our  adventures  in 
the  woods,  I  will  insert  the  following  article 
from  the  "Southern  Confederacy"  of  April  15, 
1862,  a  paper  published  in  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
only  three  days  after  our  adventure.  This  I 
purloined  from  the  officer  in  charge  of  us,  and 
carried  concealed  about  my  clothes  all  the  time 
I  remained  in  ihe  South.  It  contains  a  good 
many  errors  of  statement,  particularly  where  it 
refers  to  our  numbers  and  plans,  but  is  valu- 
able as  showing  the  estimate  the  rebels  placed 
on  our  enterprise,  and  as  giving  their  ideas  of 
the  chase.  It  also  represents  us  as  tearing  up 
the  railroad  many  more  times  than  we  did.  In 
no  cas?  did  they  take  up  rails  behind,  and  lay 
them 'down  before  their  train.  This  assertion 
was  made  to  give  Messrs.  Fuller  and  Murphy 
more  credit  at  our  expense.  So  highly  were 
the  services  of  these  gentlemen  appreciated,  that 
the  Georgia  State  Legislature,  in  the  fall  of 
1862,  gave  them  a  vote  of  thanks,  and  recom- 


?2  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

mended  the  Governor  to  grant  them  the  highest 
offices  in  his  gift.  .  I  do  not  know  what  they  ac- 
tually did  receive. 
Below  is  the  account  : 

THE  GKEAT  KAILBOAD  CHASE  ! 

The  Most  Extraordinary  and  Astounding  Adven- 
ture of  the  War  —  2  he  Most  Daring  Under- 
taking that  Yankees  ever  Planned  or  Attempted 
to  Execute  —  Stealing  an  Engine  —  Tearing  up 
the  1  rack  —  Pursued  on  Foot,  on  Sand-  Cars, 
and  Engirt  es  —  0  ue  rtaken  —  A  Scatter  mg  —  T  he 
Capture  —  The  Wonderful  Energy  of  Messrs. 
Fuller,  Murphy  and  Cain  —  Some  Reflections, 


FULL   PARTICULARS!! 

Since  our  last  issue,  we  have  obtained  full 
particulars  of  the  most  thrilling  railroad  adven- 
ture that  ever  occurred  on  the  American  conti- 
nent, as  well  as  the  mightiest  and  most  impor- 
tant in  its  results,  if  successful,  that  has  been 
conceived  by  the  Lincoln  Government  since  the 
commencement  of  this  war.  Nothing  on  so 
grand  a  scale  has  been  attempted,  and  nothing 
within  the  range  of  possibility  could  be  con- 
ceived, that  would  fall  with  such  a  tremendous, 
crushing  force  upon  us,  as  the  accomplishment 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         73 

of  the  plans  which  were  concocted  and  depend- 
ent on  the  execution  of  the  one  whose  history 
we  now  proceed  to  narrate. 

Its  reality — what  was  actually  done — excels 
all  the  extravagant  conceptions  of  the  Arrow- 
Smith  hoax,  which  fiction  created  such  a  pro- 
found sensation  in  Europe. 

To  make  the  matter  more  complete  and  in- 
telligible, we  will  take  our  readers  over  the 
same  history  of  the  case  which  we  related  in 
our  last,  the  main  features  of  which  are  correct, 
but  are  lacking  in  details,  which  have  since  come 
to  hand. 

We  will  begin  at  the  breakfast-table  of  the 
Big  Shanty  Hotel  at  Camp  McDonald,  on  the 
Western  and  Atlantic  Eailroad,  where  several 
regiments  of  soldiers  are  now  encamped.  The 
morning  mail  and  passenger  train  had  left  here 
at  four  A.  M.,  on  last  Saturday  morning,  as 
usual,  and  had  stopped  there  for  breakfast. 
The  conductor,  William  A.  Fuller ;  the  engi- 
neer, I.  Cain,  both  of  this  city  ;  and  the  passen- 
gers were  at  the  table,  when  some  eight  men, 
having  uncoupled  the  engine  and  three  empty 
box-cars  next  to  it,  from  the  passenger  and  bag- 
gage-cars, mounted  the  engine,  pulled  open  the 
valve,  put  on  all  steam,  and  left  conductor, 
engineer,  passengers,  spectators,  and  the  sol- 


74  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING  ;   OK 

diers  in  the  camp  hard  by,  all  lost  in  amaze- 
ment, and  dumbfounded  at  the  strange,  startling, 
and  daring  act. 

This  unheard-of  act  was,  doubtless,  under- 
taken at  that  place  and  time  upon  the  presump- 
tion that  pursuit  could  not  be  made  by  an  en- 
gine short  of  Kingston,  some  thirty  miles  above, 
or  from  this  place ;  and  that  by  cutting  down 
the  telegraph  wires  as  they  proceeded,  the  ad- 
venturers could  calculate  on  at  least  three  or 
four  hours'  start  of  any  pursuit  it  was  rea- 
sonable to  expect.  This  was  a  legitimate  con- 
clusion, and  but  for  the  will,  energy,  and  quick 
good  judgment  of  Mr.  Fuller,  and  Mr.  Cain, 
and  Mr.  Anthony  Murphy,  the  intelligent  and 
practical  foreman  of  the  wood  department  of 
the  State  Koad  shop,  who  accidentally  went  on 
the  train  from  this  place  that  morning,  their 
calculations  would  have  worked  out  as  origi- 
nally contemplated,  and  the  results  would  have 
been  obtained  long  ere.  this  reaches  the  eye  of 
our  readers — the  most  terrible  to  us  of  any  that 
we  can  conceive  as  possible,  and  unequaled  by 
any  attempted  or  conceived  since  this  war  com- 
menced. 

Now  for  the  chase  ! 

These  three  determined  men,  without  a  mo- 
ment's delay,  put  out  after  the  flying  train — 


THE   GREAT   EAILEOAD  ADVENTURE.'        75 

on  foot,  amidst  shouts  of  laughter  by  the  crowd, 
who,  though  lost  in  amazement  at  the  unex- 
pected and  daring  act,  could  not  repress  their 
risibility  at  seeing  three  men  start  after  a  train 
on  foot,  which  they  had  just  witnessed  depart 
at  lightning  speed.  They  put  on  all  their 
speed,  and  ran  along  the  track  for  three  miles, 
when  they  came  across  some  track-raisers,  who 
had  a  small  truck-car,  which  is  shoved  along 
by  men  so  employed  on  railroads,  on  which  to 
carry  their  tools.  This  truck  and  men  were  at 
once  "  impressed."  They  took  it  by  turns  of 
two  at  a  time  to  run  behind  this  truck,  and 
push  it  along  all  up  grades  and  level  portions 
of  the  road,  and  let  it  drive  at  will  on  all  the 
down  grades.  A  little  way  further  up  the  fu- 
gitive adventurers  had  stopped,  cut  the  tele- 
graph wires,  and  torn  up  the  track.  Here  the 
pursuers  were  thrown  off  pell  mell,  truck  and 
men,  upon  the  side  of  the  road.  Fortunately 
''  nobody  was  hurt  on  our  side."  The  truck  'was 
soon  placed  on  the  road  again;  enough  hands 
were  left  to  repair  the  track,  and  with  all  the 
power  of  determined  will  and  muscle,  they 
pushed  on  to  Etowah  Station,  some  twenty 
miles  above. 

Here,    most  fortunately,  Major  Cooper's  old 
coal  engine,  the  "  Yonah" — one  of  the  first  en- 


76  DARIXG   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

gines   on   the   State   road — was   standing   out, 
fired  up.     This  venerable  locomotive  was  im- 
mediately turned  upon  her  own  track,  and  like 
an  old  racer,  at  the  tap  of  the  drum,  pricked  up 
her  ears  and  made  fine  time  to  Kingston. 

The  fugitives,  not  expecting  such  early 
pursuit,  quietly  took  in  wood  and  water  at 
Cass  Station,  and  borrowed  a  schedule  from 
the  tank-tender,  upon  the  plausible  plea  that 
they  were  running  a  pressed  train,  loaded  with 
powder,  for  Beauregard.  The  attentive  and 
patriotic  tank-tender,  Mr.  William  Eussell, 
said  he  gave  them  his  schedule,  and  would 
have  sent  the  shirt  off  his  back  to  Beauregard, 
if  it  had  been  asked  for.  Here  the  adventurous 
fugitives  inquired  which  end  of  the  switch  they 
should  go  in  on  at  Kingston.  When  they  ar- 
rived at  Kingston,  they  stopped,  went  to  the 
agent  there,  told  the  powder  story,  readily  got 
the  switch-key,  went  on  the  upper  turn-out, 
and  waited  for  the  down  way  freight  train  to 
pass.  To  all  inquiries  they  replied  with  the 
same  powder  story.  When  the  freight  train 
had  passed,  they  immediately  proceeded  on  to 
the  next  station — Adairsville — where  they  were 
to  meet  the  regular  down  freight  train.  At 
some  point  on  the  way  they  had  taken  on  some 
fifty  cross-ties,  and  before  reaching  Adairsville, 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.  77 

they  stopped  on  a  curve,  tore  up  the  rails,  and 
put  seven  cross-ties  on  the  track — no  doubt 
intending  to  wreck  this  down  freight  train, 
which  would  be  along  in  a  few  minutes.  They 
had  out  upon  the  engine  a  red  handkerchief,  as 
a  kind  of  flag  or  signal,  which,  in  railroading, 
means  another  train  is  behind — thereby  indica- 
ting to  all  that  the  regular  passenger  train 
would  be  along  presently.  They  stopped  a 
moment  at  Adairsville,  and  said  Fuller,  with 
the  regular  passenger  train,  was  behind,  and 
would  wait  at  Kingston  for  the  freight  train, 
and  told  the  conductor  thereon  to  push  ahead 
and  meet  him  at  that  point.  They  passed  on 
to  Calhoun,  where  they  met  the  down  passen- 
ger train,  due  here  at  4.20  P.  M.,  and  without 
making  any  stop,  they  proceeded — on,  on, 
and  on. 

But  we  must  return  to  Fuller  and  his  party, 
whom  we  have  unconsciously  left  on  the  old 
"  Yonah,"  making  their  way  to  Kingston. 

Arriving  there,  and  learning  the  adventurers 
were  but  twenty  minutes  ahead,  they  left  the 
"  Yonah"  to  blow  off,  while  they  mounted  the 
engine  of  the  Kome  Branch  Koad,  which  was 
ready  fired  up,  and  waiting  for  the  arrival  of 
the  passenger  train  nearly  due,  when  it  would 
have  proceeded  to  Rome.  A  large  party  of 


78  DAKING  AND   SUFFERING;    OB  ' 

gentlemen  volunteered  for  the  chase,  some 
at  Ac  worth,  Altoona,  Kingston,  and  other 
points,  taking  such  arms  as  they  could  lay 
their  hands  on  at  the  moment ;  and  with  this 
fresh  engine  they  set  out  with  all  speed,  but 
with  great  "care  and  caution,"  as  they  had 
scarcely  time  to  make  Adairsville,  before  the 
down  freight  train  would  leave  that  point. 
Sure  enough,  they  discovered,  this  side  of 
Adairsville,  three  rails  torn  up  and  other  im- 
pediments in  the  way.  They  lt  took  up"  in 
time  to  prevent,  an  accident,  but  could  proceed 
with  the  train  no  further.  This  was  most 
vexatious,  and  it  may  have  been  in  some 
degree  disheartening ;  but  it  did  not  cause  the 
slightest  relaxation  of  efforts,  and,  as  the  result 
proved,  was  but  little  in  the  way  of  the  dead 
game,  pluck  and  resolutions  of  Fuller  and 
Murphy,  who  left  the  engine  and  again  put  out 
on  foot  alone !  After  running  two  miles,  they 
met  the  down  freight  train,  one  mile  out  from 
Adairsville.  They  immediately  reversed  the 
train,  and  ran  backwards  to  Adairsville — put 
the  cars  on  the  siding,  and  pressed  forward, 
making  fine  time  to  Calhoun,  where  they  met 
the  regular  down  passenger  train.  Here  they 
halted  a  moment,  took  on  board  a  telegraph 
operator,  and  a  number  of  men  who  again  vol- 


THE   GREAT  BAILKOAD   ADVENTURE.         79 

unteered,  taking  their  guns  along — and  con- 
tinued the  chase.  Mr.  Fuller  also  took  on  here 
a  company  of  track-hands  to  repair  the  track 
as  they  went  along.  A  short  distance  above 
Calhoun,  they  flushed  their  game  on  a  curve, 
where  they  doubtless  supposed  themselves  out 
of  danger,  and  were  quietly  oiling  the  engine, 
taking  up  the  track,  &c.  Discovering  that  they 
were  pursued,  they  mounted  and  sped  away, 
throwing  out  upon  the  track  as  they  went 
along,  the  heavy  cross-ties  they  had  prepared 
themselves  with.  This  was  done  by  breaking 
out  the  end  of  the  hindmost  box-car,  and  pitch- 
ing them  out.  Thus,  "nip  and  tuck,"  they 
passed  with  fearful  speed  Besaca,  Tilt  on,  and 
on  through  Dalton. 

The  rails  which  they  had  taken  up  last  they 
took  off  with  them — besides  throwing  out  cross- 
ties  upon  the  track  occasionally — hoping  thereby 
the  more  surely  to  impede  the  pursuit ;  but  all 
this  was  like  tow  to  the  touch  of  fire  to  the  now 
thoroughly- aroused,  excited,  and  eager  pursuers. 
These  men,  though  so  much  excited,  and  influ- 
enced by  so  much  determination,  still  retained 
their  well-known  caution,  were  looking  out  for 
this  danger,  and  discovered  it,  and  though  it 
was  seemingly  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  their 
making  any  headway  in  pursuit,  was  quickly 


80  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

overcome  by  the  genius  of  Fuller  and  Murphy 
Coming  to  where  the  rails  were  torn  up,  they 
stopped,  tore  up  rails  behind  them,  and  laid 
them  down  before,  till  they  had  passed  over  that 
obstacle.  When  the  cross-ties  were  reached, 
they  hauled  to  and  threw  them  offj  and  thus 
proceeded,  and  under  these  difficulties  gained 
on  the  frightened  fugitives.  At  Dalton  they 
halted  a  moment.  Fuller  put  off  the  telegraph 
operator,  with  instructions  to  telegraph  to  Chat- 
tanooga to  have  them  stopped,  in  case  he  should 
fail  to  overhaul  them. 

Fuller  pressed  on  in  hot  chase — sometimes  in 
sight — as  much  to  prevent  their  cutting  the 
wires  before  the  message  could  be  sent,  as  to 
catch  them.  The  daring  adventurers  stopped 
just  opposite  and  very  near  to  where  Colonel 
Glenn's  regiment  is  encamped,  and  cut  the  wires ; 
but  the  operator  at  Dalton  had  put  the  message 
through  about  two  minutes  before.  They  also 
again  tore  up  the  track,  cut  down  a  telegraph 
pole,  and  placed  the  'two  ends  of  it  under  the 
cross-ties,  and  the  middle  over  the  rail  on  the 
track.  The  pursuers  stopped  again,  and  got 
over  this  impediment  in  the  same  manner  they 
did  before — taking  up  the  rails  behind,  and  lay- 
ing them  down  before.  Once  over  this,  they 
shot  on,  and  passed  through  the  great  tunnel 


THE   GEE  AT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         81 

at  Tunnel  Hill,  being  there  only  five  minutes 
behind.  The  fugitives,  thus  finding  themselves 
closely  pursued,  uncoupled  two  of  the  box-cars 
from  the  engine,  to  impede  the  progress  of  the 
pursuers.  Fuller  hastily  coupled  them  to  the 
front  of  his  engine,  and  pushed  them  ahead  of 
him,  to  the  first  turn-out  or  siding,  where  they 
were  left,  thus  preventing  the  collision  the  ad- 
venturers intended. 

Thus  the  engine-thieves  passed  Einggold, 
where  they  began  to  fag.  They  were  out  of 
wood,  water,  and  oil.  Their  rapid  running  and 
inattention  to  the  engine  had  melted  all  the 
brass  from  the  journals.  They  had  no  time  to 
repair  or  refit,  for  an  iron-horse  of  more  bottom 
was  close  behind.  Fuller  and  Murphy,  and 
their  men,  soon  came  within  four  hundred  yards 
of  them,  when  the  fugitives  jumped  from  the 
engine,  and  left  it,  three  on  the  north  side,  and 
five  on  the  south  side ;  all  fleeing  precipitately, 
and  scattering  through  the  thicket.  Fuller  and 
his  party  also  took  to  the  woods  after  them. 

Some  gentleman,  also  well  armed,  took  the 
engine  and  some  cars  of  the  down  passenger 
train  at  Calhoun,  and  followed  up  Fuller  and 
Murphy  and  their  party  in  the  chase,  'but  a 
short  distance  behind,  and  reached  the  place  of 
ihe  stampede  but  a  very  few  moments  after  the 
6 


82  DARING  AND   SUFFERING  ;   OR 

first  pursuers  did.  A  large  Dumber  of  men 
were  soon  mounted,  armed,  and  scouring  the 
country  in  search  of  them.  Fortunately .  there 
was  a  militia  muster  at  Einggold.  A  great 
many  countrymen  were  in  town.  Hearing  of 
the  chase,  they  put  out  on  foot  and  on  horse- 
back in  every  direction,  in  search  of  the  daring, 
but  now  thoroughly  frightened  and  fugitive 
men. 

We  learn  that  Fuller,  soon  after  leaving  his 
engine,  in  passing  a  cabin  in  the  country,  found 
a  mule,  having  on  a  bridle  but  no  saddle,  and 
tied  to  a  fence.  "  Herds  your  mule"  he  shouted, 
as  he  leaped  upon  his  back,  and  put  out  as  fast 
as  a  good  switch,  well  applied,  could  impart 
vigor  to  the  muscles  and  accelerate  the  speed 
of  the  patient  donkey.  The  cry  of  "Here's 
your  mule,"  and  "  Where's  my  mule,"  have 
become  national,  and  are  generally  heard  when, 
on  the  one  hand,  no  mule  is  about,  and  on  the 
other  when  no  one  is  hunting  a  mule.  It  seems 
not  to  be  understood  by  any  one,  though  it  is 
a  peculiar  Confederate  phrase,  and  is  as  popular 
as  Dixie,  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Eio  Grande. 
It  remained  for  Fuller,  in  the  midst  of  this  ex- 
citing chase,  to  solve  the  mysterious  meaning 
of  this  national  by-word  or  phrase,  and  give  it 
a  practical  application. 


THE  GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      83 

All  of  the  eight  men  were  captured,  and  are 
now  safely  lodged  in  jail.  The  particulars  of 
their  capture  we  have  not  received.  This  we 
hope  to  obtain  in  time  for  a  postscript  to  this,, 
or  for  our  second  edition.  They  confessed  that 
they  belonged  to  Lincoln's  army,  and  had  been 
sent  down  from  Shelbyville  to  burn  the  bridges 
between  here  and  Chattanooga ;  and  that  the 
whole  party  consisted  of  nineteen  men,  eleven 
of  whom  were  dropped  at  several  points  on  the 
road  as  they  came  down,  to  assist  in  the  burn- 
ing of  the  bridges  as  they  went  back. 

When  the  morning  freight  train  which  left 
this  city  reached  Big  Shanty,  Lieutenant-Col- 
onels K.  F.  Maddox  and  C.  P.  Phillips  took  the 
engine  and  a  few  cars,  with  fifty  picked  men, 
well  armed,  and  followed  on  as  rapidly  as  pos- 
sible. They  passed  over  all  difficulties,  and 
got  as  far  as  Calhoun,  where  they  learned  the 
fugitives  had  taken  the  woods,  and  were  pur- 
sued by  plenty  of  men,  with  the  means  to 
catch  them  if  it  were  possible. 

One  gentleman  who  went  upon  the  train  from 
Calhoun,  who  has  furnished  us  with  many  of 
these  particulars,  and  who,  by  the  way,  is  one 
of  the  most  experienced  railroad  men  in  Geor- 
gia, says  too  much  praise  cannot  be  bestowed 
on  Fuller  and  Murphy,  who  showed  a  cool 


84  DAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

judgment  and  forethought  in  this  extraordinary 
affair,  unsurpassed  by  anything  he  ever  knew  in 
a  railroad  emergency.  This  gentleman,  we 
learn  from  another,  offered,  on  his  own  account, 
one  hundred  dollars  reward  on  each  man,  for 
the  apprehension  of  the  villains. 

We  do  not  know  what  Governor  Brown  wiR 
do  in  this  case,  or  what  is  his  custom  in  such 
matters ;  but  if  such  a  thing  is  admissible,  we 
insist  upon  Fuller  and  Murphy  being  promoted 
to  the  highest  honors  on  the  road  ;  if  not  by 
actually  giving  them  the  highest  position,  at 
least  let  them  be  promoted  by  brevet.  Cer- 
tainly their  indomitable  energy,  and  quick,  cor- 
rect judgment  and  decision  in  the  many  difficult 
contingencies  connected  with  this  unheard-of 
emergency,  has  saved  all  the  railroad  bridges 
above  Einggold  from  being  burned ;  the  most 
daring  scheme  that  this  revolution  has  developed 
has  been  thwarted,  and  the  tremendous  results 
which,  if  successful,  can  scarcely  be  imagined, 
much  less  described,  have  been  averted.  Had 
they  succeeded  in  burning  the  bridges,  the  ene- 
my at  Huntsville  would  have  occupied  Chatta- 
nooga before  Sunday  night.  Yesterday  they 
would  have  been  in  Knoxville,  and  thus  had 
possession  of  all  East  Tennessee.  Our  forces  at 
Knoxville,  Greenville,  and  Cumberland  Gap, 


THE   GREAT  EAILEOAD  ADVENTURE.         85 

would,  ere  this,  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Lynchburg,  Virginia,  would  have  been 
moved  upon  at  once.  This  would  have  given 
them  possession  of  the  Valley  of  Virginia,  and 
Stonewall  Jackson  could  have  been  attacked  in 
the  rear.  They  would  have  possession  of  the 
railroad  leading  to  Charlottesville  and  Orange 
Court  House,  as  well  as  the  South  Side  Kail- 
road  leading  to  Petersburg  and  Kichmond. 
They  might  have  been  able  to  unite  with 
McClellan's  forces,  and  attack  Jo.  Johnston's 
army,  front  and  flank.  It  is  not  by  any  means 
improbable  that  our  army  in  Virginia  would 
have  been  defeated,  captured,  or  driven  out  of 
the  State  this  week. 

Then  reinforcements  from  all  the  Eastern  and 
Southeast  portion  of  the  country  would  have 
been  cut  off  from  Beauregard.  The  enemy 
have  Hunts ville  now,  and  with  all  these  designs 
accomplished,  his  army  would  have  been  effec- 
tually flanked.  The  mind  and  heart  shrink 
appalled  at  the  awful  consequences  that  would 
have  followed  the  success  of  this  one  act.  When 
Fuller,  Murphy,  and  Cain  started  from  Big 
Shinty  on  foot,  to  capture  that  fugitive  engine,  they 
were  involuntarily  laughed  at  by  the  crowd, 
serious  as  the  matter  was — and  to  most  observ- 
ers it  was  indeed  most  ludicrous;  but  that  foot- 


86 

race  saved  us,  and  prevented  the  consummation 
of  these  tremendous  consequences. 

One  fact  we  must  not  omit  to  mention,  is  the 
valuable  assistance  rendered  by  Peter  Bracken, 
the  engineer  on  the  down  freight  train  which 
Fuller  and  Murphy  turned  back.  He  ran  his 
engine  fifty  and  a  half  miles — two  of  them 
backing  the  whole  freight  train  up  to  Adairs- 
ville — made  twelve  stops,  coupled  to  the  two 
cars  which  the  fugitives  had  dropped,  and 
switched  them  off  on  sidings — all  this,  in 
one  hour  and  five  minutes. 

We  doubt  if  the  victory  of  Manasses  or 
Corinth  were  worth  as  much  to  us  as  the  frus- 
tration of  this  grand  coup  d1  etat.  It  is  not  by 
any  means  certain  that  the  annihilation  of 
Beau  regard's  whole  army  at  Corinth  would  be 
so  fatal  a  blow  to  us  as  would  have  been  the 
burning  of  the  bridges  at  that  time  and  by 
these  men. 

When  we  learned  by  a  private  telegraph 
dispatch,  a  few  days  ago,  that  the  Yankees  had 
taken  Huntsville,  we  attached  no  great  import- 
ance to  it.  We  regarded  it  merely  as  a  dash- 
ing foray  of  a  small  party  to  destroy  property, 
tear  up  the  road,  &c.,  a  la  Morgan.  When  an 
additional  telegram  announced  the  Federal  force 
there  to  be  from  17,000  to  20,000,  we  were 


THE   GKEAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         87 

inclined  to  doubt — though  coming  from  a  per- 
fectly honorable  and  upright  gentleman,  who 
would  not  be  apt  to  seize  upon  a  wild  report  to 
send  here  to  his  friends.  The  coming  to  that 
point  with  a  large  force,  where  they  would  be 
flanked  on  either  side  by  our  army,  we  re- 
garded as  a  most  stupid  and  unmilitary  act. 
We  now  understand  it  all.  They  were  to 
move  upon  Chattanooga  and  Knoxville  as  soon 
/is  the  bridges  were  burnt,  and  press  on  into 
Virginia  as  far  as  possible,  and  take  all  our 
forces  in  that  State  in  the  rear.  It  was  all  the 
deepest  laid  scheme,  and  on  the  grandest  scale, 
that  ever  emanated  from  the  brains  of  any  num- 
ber of  Yankees  combined.  It  was  one  that  was 
also  entirely  practicable  on  almost  any  day  for 
the  last  year.  There  were  but  two  miscalcula- 
tions in  the  whole  programme ;  they  did  not 
expect  men  to  start  out  afoot  to  pursue  them, 
and  they  did  not  expect  these  pursuers  on  foot 
to  find  Major  Cooper's  old  "  Yonah"  standing 
there  all  ready  fired  up.  Their  calculations  on 
every  other  point  were  dead  certainties,  and 
would  have  succeeded  perfectly.. 

This  would  have  eclipsed  anything  Captain 
Morgan  ever  attempted.  To  think  of  a  parcel 
of  Federal  soldiers,  officers  and  privates,  coming 
down  into  the  heart  of  the  Confederate  States-^ 


88  BAKING   AND    SUFFERING;    OR 

for  they  were  here  in  Atlanta  and  at  Marietta — 
(some  of  them  got  on  the 'train  at  Marietta  that 
morning,  and  others  were  at  Big  Shanty  ;)  of 
playing  such  a  serious  game  on  the  State  Road, 
which  is  under  the  control  of  our  prompt,  ener- 
getic and  sagacious  Governor,  known  as  such 
all  over  America;  to  seize  the  passenger  train 
on  his  road,  right  at  Camp  McDonald,  where  he 
has  a  number  of  Georgia  regiments  encamped, 
and  run  off  with  it ;  to  burn  the  bridges  on  the 
same  road,  and  to  go  safely  through  to  the 
Federal  lines — all  this  would  have  been  a  fea- 
ther in  the  cap  of  the  man  or  men  who  exe- 
cuted it. 

Let  this  be  a  warning  to  the  railroad  men 
and  everybody  else  in  the  Confederate  States. 
Let  an  engine  never  be  left  alone  a  moment. 
Let  additional  guards  be  placed  at  our  bridges. 
This  is  a  matter  we  specially  urged  in  the  Con- 
federacy long  ago.  We  hope  it  will  now  be 
heeded.  Further,  let  a  sufficient  guard  be 
placed  to  watch  the  government  stores  in  this 
city ;  and  let  increased  vigilance  and  watchful- 
ness be  put  forth  by  the  watchmen.  We  know 
one  solitary  man  who  is  guarding  a  house  in 
this  city,  which  contains  a  lot  of  bacon.  Two 
or  three  men  could  throttle  and  gag  him,  and 
set  fire  to  the  house  at  any  time ;  and  worse,  he 


THE    GKEAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         89 

conceives  that  there  is  "no  necessity  for  a  guard, 
as  he  is  sometimes  seen  off'  duty  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, fully  long  enough  for  »an  incendiary  to 
burn  the  house  he  watches.  Let  Mr.  Shakel- 
ford,  whom  we  know  to  be  watchful  and  atten- 
tive to  his  duties,  take  the  responsibility  at 
once  of  placing  a  well-armed  guard  of  sufficient 
force  around  every  house  containing  government 
stores.  Let  this  be  done  without  waiting  for 
instructions  from  Eichmond. 

One  other  thought.  The  press  is  requested 
by  the  Government  to  keep  silent  about  the 
movements  of  the  army,  and  a  great  many 
things  of  the  greatest  interest  to  our  people. 
It  has,, in  the  main,  patriotically  complied.  We 
have  complied  in  most  cases,  but  our  judgment 
was  against  it  all  the  while.  The  plea  is  that 
the  enemy  will  get  the  news  if  it  is  published 
in  our  papers.  Now,  we  again  ask,  what's  the 
use  ?  The  enemy  get  what  information  they 
want.  They  are  with  us  and  pass  among  us 
almost  daily.  They  find  out  from  us  what  they 
want  to  know,  by  passing  through  our  country 
unimpeded.  It  is  nonsense — it  is  folly,  to 
deprive  our  own  people  of  knowledge  they  are 
entitled  to  and  ought  to  know,  for  fear  the  ene- 
my will  find  it  out.  We  ought  to  have  a  regu- 
lar system  of  passports  over  all  our  roads,  and 


90  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

refuse  to  let  any  man  pass  who  could  not  give  a 
good  account  of  himself,  come  well  vouched 
for,  and  make  it  fully  appear  that  he  is  not  an 
enemy,  and  that  he  is  on  legitimate  business. 
This  would  keep  information  from  the  enemy 
far  more  effectually  than  any  reticence  of  the 
,press,  which  ought  to  lay  before  our  people  the 
full  facts  in  everything  of  a  public  nature. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         91 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Stupendous  "Man  Hunt" — My  Own  Adventures — Play- 
ing Acrobat — Perilous  Crossing  of  a  River — Hunger — 
The  Bloodhounds — Flying  for  Life — No  Sun  or  Star  to 
Guide  me — Traveling  in  a  Circle — Nearing  Chattanooga 
— Lost  in  Deadened  Timber — Glimpse  of  the  Moon — 
Fatigue  Produces  Phantoms — Dreadful  Storm — I  Sleep 
and  enter  Fairy  Land — Glorious  Visions — Reality — 
A  Picket — Romance  Faded — Horrible  Situation — Day 
Dawn— No  Relief. 

ON  leaving  the  train,  I  confess  for  a  moment 
my  heart  sunk  within  me.  I  was  alone,  for  no 
one  happened  to  strike  off  in  the  same  direc- 
tion I  did.  I  knew  not  where  I  was — whether 
fifteen  or  fifty  miles  from  Chattanooga* — 
neither  had  I  the  most  indefinite  idea  of  the 
lay  of  the  country.  I  only  knew  that  north 
or  northwest  would  bring  me  to  our  forces ; 
but  the  sun  did  not  shine,  to  give  me  even  the 
points  of  the  compass. 

I  supposed  that  the  country  would  be 
aroused,  and  a  vigorous  pursuit  made,  but  my 

*The  description  of  places  and  distances  given  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  was  mostly  obtained  from  Confeder- 
ates, who  afterward  visited  and  talked  with  us. 


92  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

worst  anticipations  proved  far  short  of  the  real- 
ity. It  was  Saturday,  the  12th  of  April,  and 
was  a  general  muster-day  for  the  conscripts 
over  the  whole  country ;  but  as  soon  as  the 
news  of  our  raid  was  received,  drill  was  sus- 
pended, and  every  one  turned  out  in  search  of 
us.  Then  was  organized  the  most  stupendous 
man-hunt  that  ever  took  place  in  the  South. 
Horsemen  hurried  at  full  speed  along  every 
road,  and  proclaimed  the  news  as  they  went. 
Each  planter,  with  his  dependents,  for  at  least 
fifty  miles  in  every  direction,  took  his  blood- 
hounds and  scoured  the  woods.  Every  cross- 
road, every  river,  ford,  or  ferry,  was  at  once 
picketed  by  bodies  of  cavalry.  Large  rewards 
were  offered,  and  thousands  of  soldiers  pursued 
us,  in  addition  to  the  universal  uprising  of  the 
citizens.  The  only  partially  known  object  of 
the  expedition  imparted  a  tone  of  romantic  ex- 
aggeration to  it,  and  made  the  people  doubly 
anxious  to  solve  the  mys-tery.  The  feeling  in 
northern  Georgia  may  be  best  conceived  by 
imagining  what  would  be  the  excitement  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  if  a  party  of  Confederates 
would  seize  a  train  near  Philadelphia,  and  at- 
.tempt  to  run  it  through  Baltimore,  especially 
if  the  movements  of  their  armies  should  be 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         93 

such  as  would  lead  to  the  belief  that  this  was 
only  part  of  a  grand  scheme ! 

I  will  now  give  a  personal  sketch  of  my  own 
adventures  after  leaving  the  train.  It  was  still 
moving  when  I  jumped  oft) — fast  enough  to 
make  me  perform  several  inconvenient  gyra- 
tions on  reaching  the  ground.  Most  of  the 
party  were  ahead  of  me.  Three  had  taken  the 
eastern  side  of  the  road,  and  the  remainder  the 
opposite  side.  I  followed  the  example  of  the 
latter,  and  soon  reached  the  cover  of  the  stunted 
pines  that  grew  near  the  road.  Feeling  the 
necessity  of  getting  away  as  far  as  possible 
before  the  enemy  could  pursue  us  on  foot,  I 
struck  off  at  a  rapid  rate. 

Soon  I  passed  the  little  brook  that  ran  along 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  pressed  on  up  its  steep 
side.  There  were  three  of  my  comrades  not  far 
from  me  on  the  left,  but  I  could  not  overtake 
them,  and  still  proceeded  alone.  I  knew  that 
pursuit  would  be  rapid  and  instantaneous.  I 
seemed  to  hear  the  tread  of  cavalry  in  every 
breeze  that  sighed  through  the  branches  of  the 
naked  forest ! 

The  country  was  rough  and  uneven.  On  the 
bottoms,  and  by  the  streams,  were  a  few  pines ; 
but  on  the  mountain  spurs,  which  here  are  a 
low  continuation  of  the  Cumberland  range,  the 


94  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

timber  is  mostly  oak  and  other  varieties, 
which  were  not  then  in  foliage.  This  was  a 
great  disadvantage,  because  it  left  no  hiding 
place,  and  exposed  us  to  the  view  of  the  watch- 
ful eyes  of  our  enemies. 

Soon  I  found  myself  in  the  bend  of  a  little 
river  that  empties  into  the  Tennessee  at  Chat- 
tanooga. It  was  swollen  by  continuous  rains, 
and  for  some  time  I  searched  along  its  bank  for 
a  place  to  cross  the  turbulent  stream;  but, 
seeing  none,  and  believing  that  death  was  be- 
hind, I  committed  myself  to  its  angry  current, 
and,  after  being  thoroughly  soaked,  and  almost 
washed  away,  I  succeeded  in  reaching  the  op- 
posite side.  Here  the  bank  rose  in  an  almost 
perpendicular  precipice  of  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  in  hight.  I  dared  not  recross  the  stream, 
for  I  knew  the  enemy  could  not  be  far  behind, 
and,  therefore,  I  clambered  up  the  precipice. 
Several  times  when  near  the  top  did  I  feel  my 
grasp  giving  way ;  but  as  often  did  some  bush 
or  projecting  rock  afford  me  the  means  of 
saving  myself.  At  last,  after  the  most  immi- 
nent danger,  I  reached  the  top  utterly  ex- 
hausted, pulled  myself  out  of  sight,  and 
breathed  for  a  while. 

I  had  had  no  breakfast  or  dinner,  and  had  spent 
not  only  that  day,  but  many  preceding  ones,  in 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         95 

the  most  fatiguing  exertion.  I  was  very  faint 
and  sick,  and  almost  out  of  hope.  I  had  no 
guide  even  in  the  direction  of  home,  for  the  sun 
still  lingered  behind  an  impenetrable  veil. 

While  I  thus  lay  and  mused  on  the  unenvi- 
able situation  in  which  I  found  myself  placed, 
a  sound  reached  my  ears  that  again  sent  the 
blood  leaping  wildly  through  my  veins.  It 
was  the  distant  baying  of  a'  bloodhound !  Never 
again  will  I  read  the  story  of  human  beings, 
of  any  color,  pursued  by  these  revolting  instru- 
ments of  man's  most  savage  "  inhumanity  to 
man,"  with  indifference ! 

I  started  to  my  feet,  and  a  few  moments'  lis- 
tening confirmed  my  first  impression.  It  was 
true.  They  were  after  us  with  their  blood- 
hounds! not  one  pack  alone,  but  all  in  the 
country,  as  the  widening  circle,  from  which 
echoed  their  dismal  baying,  revealed  but  too 
plainly.  There  was  no  longer  safety  in  idleness, 
and  I  at  once  started  up,  and  hurried  off,  as 
nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  railroad  as  I  could 
ascertain  by  the  whistling  of  the  trains,  which 
seemed  to  be  moving  in  great  numbers, 
and  much  excited.  The  fearful  barking  of  the 
dogs  also  gave  me  a  clue  to  avoid  them. 
Faint  and  weak  as  I  was,  excitement  supplied 
the  place  of  strength,  and  I  rapidly  placed  a 


96  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

considerable  distance  between  myself  and  pur- 
suers. 

Away  across  the  hills  and  streams  I  sped,  I 
knew  not  how  far — I  only  knew  that  the  noise  of 
the  dogs  grew  fainter  and  fainter  as  the  evening 
wore  on.  I  had  distanced  them,  and  began  to 
breathe  freer.  I  even  indulged  the  hope  of 
being  able  ultimately  to  work  my  way  to  the 
lines,  and  still  think  I  might  have  done  so,  had 
the  weather  been  clear  enough  to  permit  my 
traveling  by  the  sun  or  stars. 

As  I  descended  the  long  slope  of  a  wooded 
hill  into  a  wild,  solitary  valley,  I  saw  a  rude 
hut,  and  a  man  in  the  garden  beside  it.  I  ap- 
proached him  to  inquire  the  road  to  Chattanoo- 
ga, though  that  was  the  last  place  I  wished  to 
go.  The  answer  was,  that  it  was  only  eight 
miles.  This  was  nearer  than  I  liked  to  be,  as  I 
rightly  judged  the  pursuit  would  be  most  vigor- 
ous in  that  vicinity.  However,  I  continued 
my  journey  in  that  direction,  until  out  of  sight, 
and  then  climbed  up  the  hill  at  right  angles  to  my 
former  course.  I  traveled  this  way  for  some 
time,  when  an  incident  occurred  that  would  have 
been  amusing,  had  it  been  less  vexatious. 

I  had  often  heard  that  persons  who  were  lost 
would  naturally  travel  in  a  circle,  but  did  not 
attach  a  great  deal  of  credit  to  the  assertion. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         97 

"Now  I  had  the  proof.  I  had  crossed  a  road,  and 
left  it  for  something  like  an  hour,  during  which 
time  I  walked  very  fast,  when,  to  my  surprise,  I 
came  to  the  same  place  again. 

I  was  considerably  annoyed  to  thus  lose  my 
labor,  but  struck  over  the  hill  in  what  I  sup- 
posed to  be  the  right  direction.  Judge  of  my  as- 
tonishment when,  after  an  hour  or  more  of  hard 
walking,  I  found  myself  at  precisely  the  same 
spot  again !  So  much  time  had  been  lost,  that 
I  now  could  hear  the  bloodhounds  once  more, 
I  was  perplexed  beyond  measure.  A  few  steps 
further  brought  me  to  the  same  river  I  had  crossed 
hours  before.  In  sheer  desperation  I  took  the 
first  road  I  came  to,  and  followed  it  a  long  time, 
almost  regardless  of  where  it  should  lead,  or 
whom  I  should  meet. 

Thus  I  pressed  forward  till  twilight  was 
deepening  into  darkness,  when  I  met  a  negro 
driving  a  team.  From  him  I  learned  that  I 
was  within  four  miles  of  Chattanooga ;  words 
can  not  describe  the  tide  of  vexation,  disap- 
pointment, and  anger  that  swept  over  my 
breast,  when  I  found  that  in  spite  of  my  most 
determined  efforts  I  was  steadily  approaching 
the  lion's  mouth.  But  it  was  no  use  to  give 
way  to  despair.  Learning  from  the  negro  the 
direction  of  both  Kinggold  and  Chattanooga, 
7 


98  DAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OK 

I  resolved  to  make  an  effort  to  reach  the  Ten- 
nessee  river  some  eight  or  ten  miles  below 
Chattanooga.  For  this  purpose,  I  struck  across 
the  fields  in  the  proper  course. 

For  some  time  now  I  did  well  enough,  but 
before  long  I  came  to  a  large  field  of  deadened 
timber.  When  I  had  crossed  this,  I  was  again 
completely  lost.  Soon,  however,  I  reached  a 
road  which  seemed  to  lead  right,  which  I  fol- 
lowed with  renewed  vigor  for  several  miles. 
At  last  I  met  three  men  on  horseback  ;  it  was 
too  dark  to  tell  whether  they  were  negroes  or 
white  men,  but  I  ventured  to  ask  them : 

"  How  far  is  it  to  Chattanooga  ? 

"  Three  miles  /" 

"  Is  this  the  road  ?" 

"  Yes,  sah  !  right  ahead." 

I  had  afterwards  reason  to  believe  that  these 
were  men  sent  out  to  arrest  us,  and  that  they 
did  not  stop  me  just  because  I  was  going  right 
to  Chattanooga ! 

But  it  was  evident  that  I  was  again  on  the 
wrong  road.  Indeed,  it  seemed  as  if  I  was  so 
hopelessly  bewildered  that  it  was  impossible 
for  me  to  travel  any  but  the  wrong  road.  As 
soon  as  the  horsemen  got  out  of  sight,  I  turned 
and  followed  them  three  or  four  miles,  when  I 
came  to  a  large  road  running  at  right  angles 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.        99 

with  my  own,  which  terminated  where  it  joined 
the  other.  I  deliberated  for  some  time  as  to 
which  end  of  this  new  road  I  should  take.  I 
had  no  guide  to  direct  me,  for  my  old  road  was 
too  crooked  even  to  give  me  the  direction  of 
the  dreaded  Chattanooga. 

Many  a  time  have  I  wished  for  a  sight  of  the 
moon  and  stars.  Long  before  the  clash  of 
arms  was  heard  in  our  land,  before  the  thunder 
and  the  wailing  of  battle  had  filled  a  nation 
with  weeping,  have  I  waited  and  wished  for  the 
parting  away  of  the  tedious  clouds,  that,  with 
my  telescope,  I  might  gaze  on  the  wonders  and 
beauties  of  the  worlds  above.  But  never  did  I 
bend  a  more  anxious  eye  to  the  darkened  firma- 
ment, than  in  my  solitary  wanderings  over  the 
Georgia  hills  that  memorable  night.  But  all 
in  vain ;  no  North  Star  appeared  to  point  with 
beam  of  hope  to  the  land  of  the  free. 

At  length  I  started  off  on  the  road  that 
I  thought  most  likely  to  lead  me  in  the 
right  direction  ;  but  as  usual  I  had  the  misfor- 
tune of  being  wrong;  for  after  I  had  gone  a 
long  distance,  the  moon  broke  through  a  rift  in 
the  clouds,  and  for  a  moment  poured  her 
light  down  on  the  dark  forest  through  which  I 
was  passing.  That  one  glance  was  enough  to 
show  me  that  I  was  heading  back  toward  the 


100  DARING  AND   SUFFERING ;    OB 


railroad  I  had  left  ID  the  morning.  Wearily  I 
turned  and  retraced  mj  tedious  steps. 

One  of  my  feet  had  been  injured  by  an  acci- 
dent three  mouths  before,  and  now  pained  me 
excessively.  Still  I  dragged  myself  along. 
My  nerves  had  become  completely  exhausted 
by  the  long-continued  tension  they  had  sus- 
tained, and  now  played  me  many  fantastic 
tricks,  which  became  more  vivid  as  the  night 
waned  away.  I  passed  the  place  where  I  had 
made  the  wrong  choice  of  roads,  and  still 
toiled  on. 

The  rain  fell  in  torrents  now.  I  was  thinly 
clad,  and  as  the  wind,  which  was  blowing  quite 
hard,  drove  the  falling  showers  against  me,  my 
teeth  chattered,  and  I  shivered  to  the  bone. 
I  passed  many  houses,  and  feared  the  barking 
of  the  dogs  might  betray  me  to  watchers 
within ;  but  my  fears  were  groundless.  The 
storm,  which  was  then  howling  fearfully  through 
the  trees,  served  to  keep  most  of  those  who 
sought  our  lives,  within  doors.  Even  the  bark- 
ing of  the  bloodhounds  was  heard  but  seldom, 
and  then  far  in  the  distance.  I  seemed  to  have 
the  lonely,  fearful,  stormy  night  to  myself. 

At  last  all  thoughts  gave  way  to  the  impera- 
tive necessity  of  repose.  I  reeled  to  a  large 
log  that  lay  by  the  side  of  the  road,  on  the  edge 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      101 

of  a  small  patch  of  woodland,  and  crawling  close 
under  the  side  of  it,  not  for  shelter  from  the 
driving  rain,  but  for  concealment  from  my  worse- 
dreaded  human  foes,  I  slept  in  peace. 

Up  to  this  time  the  image  of  that  terrible 
night  is  graven  on  my  memory  with  a  scorching 
pen  of  fire.  After  this  it  changes,  and  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  real  incidents  that  aroused 
me  from  my  trance,  it  floats  before  me  in  more 
than  the  voluptuous  splendor  of  an  opium- 
dream.  .The  cause  of  this  change  is  a  curious 
chapter  in  mental  philosophy.  It  was  no  doubt 
purely  physical,  resulting  from  want  of  sleep, 
fatigue,  dampness,  lack  of  food,  and  intense 
mental  exertion.  But  let  me  narrate  facts. 

When  I  awoke,  it  was  with  a  full  realization 
of  my  position.  But  in  addition  to  this,  I  seemed 
to  hear  some  one  whisper,  as  plainly  as  ever  I 
heard  human  voice : 

"  Shoot  him  !  shoot  him !  Let  us  shoot  him 
before  he  wakes  I" 

My  first  impression  was,  that  a  party  of  rebels 
had  discovered  my  hiding-place,  and  were  about 
to  murder  me  in  my  sleep,  to  save  themselves 
further  trouble.  But  the  next  thought  brought 
a  new  suspicion,  and  I  cautiously  opened  my 
eyes  to  test  it,  and  see  if  my  senses  were  really 
playing  false. 


102  DAKING   AND  SUFFERING  ;   OB 

Directly  before  me  stood  a  small  tree.  The 
first  glance  showed  a  tree  and  nothing  more. 
The  next  showed  a  score  of  angels,  all  clad  in 
softest  outlines,  their  heads  nodding  with  feath- 
ery plumes  above  all  beauty,  and  their  wings 
slowly  waving  with  borders  of  violet  and  pearl. 
The  whole  forest  was  suddenly  transformed  into 
a  paradise  of  radiant  glory,  in  which  moved  ce- 
lestial beings  of  every  order,  all  instinct  with 
life,  blushing  with  love,  and  bending  their 
kindest  regards  on  me.  Ladies,  too,  were  there, 
fairer  than  ever  walked  the  fields  of  earth,  em- 
bowered in  roses ;  little  cherubs  with  laughing 
faces,  on  cloudlets  of  amber  and  gold,  floated 
around.  Indeed,  all  that  the  imagination  could 
conceive  of  beauty  was  comprised  in  that  one 
gorgeous,  glorious  vision. 

The  most,  singular  fact  of  all  was,  that  al- 
though the  brain  and  eye  were  thus  impressed 
with  that  which  had  no  real  existence,  I  was 
perfectly  calm  and  self-possessed,  knowing  the 
whole  thing  to  be  but  a  pleasing  illusion.  I  did 
not  in  the  least  fear  these  figures  of  the  brain, 
but  on  the  contrary  found  them  pleasant  com- 
pany. Not  always,  however,  did  they  perso- 
nate the  same  characters.  Occasionally  they 
would  change  to  the  old  feudal  knights,  some- 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      103 

times  on  horseback,  sometimes  on  foot,  but 
always  clad  in  glittering  armor. 

The  finest  landscapes  would  start  up  from  the 
cold,  dull  hills  around,  like  mirages  in  the 
desert;  panoramas  of  the  most  vivid  action 
passed  before  me ;  even  language  was  not  denied 
to  my  visitants,  whose  voices  were  inexpressi- 
bly melodious ;  every  thought  that  passed 
through  my  mind  seemed  sounded  audibly  at 
my  side. 

Thus  through  the  visions  of  night  and  dark- 
ness I  passed  rapidly  on,  for  now  I  felt  re- 
freshed and  endowed  with  new  strength.  Even 
the  merciless  pelting  of  the  cold  rain  seemed 
pleasant  and  luxurious  as  a  cool  bath  in  the 
parching  heats  of  harvest.  But  beyond  these 
illusions,  another  faculty  seemed  to  penetrate 
and  show  me,  though  but  dimly,  the  true  face 
of  the  country. 

Once  the  two  became  mingled,  and  very 
nearly  involved  me  in  a  serious  difficulty.  At  a 
cross-road,  a  considerable  distance  ahead,  I  saw 
what  I  at  first  supposed  to  be  some  more  of  my 
spectral  friends,  standing  around  a  fire,  the 
ruddy  blaze  of  which  served  to  render  them 
clearly  visible.  They  were  not  quite  so  beauti- 
ful as  those  I  had  seen  before,  but  still  I  ad- 
vanced carelessly  toward  them,  and  would 


104  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

bablj  have  continued  to  do  so,  until  too  late  for 
retreat,  had  not  my  progress  been  arrested  by  a 
sound  of  all  others  the  least  romantic.  It  was 
the  squealing  of  a  pig  they  had  caught,  and 
were  killing,  preparatory  to  roasting  in  the  fire. 

This  at  once  drove  away  the  seraphs  and  the 
angels,  and  left  me  in  full  possession  of  my 
faculties.  I  listened,  and  soon  became  convinced 
that  they  were  a  picket,  sent  out  there  to  watch 
for  just  such  persons  as  myself.  They  had  some 
dogs  with  them,  which,  fortunately,  were  too 
much  absorbed  in  the  dying  agonies  of  the  poor 
pig  to  give  attention  to  me. 

I  crawled  cautiously  away,  and  made  a  long 
circuit  through  the  fields.  A  dog  made  himself 
exceedingly  annoying  by  following  and  barking 
after  me.  I  did  not  apprehend  danger  from 
him,  for  I  yet  had  my  trusty  revolver,  and  had 
managed  to  keep  it  dry  all  the  time  ;  but  I  feared 
he  would  attract  the  attention  of  the  picket,  who 
might  easily  have  captured  me,  for  I  was  too 
weary  to  elude  them. 

At  last  he  left  me,  and  I  again  returned  to 
the  road.  I  had  not  gone  far  till  I  came  to 
three  horses  hobbled  down,  which,  no  doubt, 
belonged  to  the  picket  behind,  and  had  to  make 
another  circuit  to  avoid  driving  them  away 
before  me.  On  again  reaching  the  road,  I 


THE   GEEAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      105 

pressed  on  as  fast  as  possible,  hoping,  before  the 
morning  light,  to  be  beyond  the  circle  of 
guarded  roads,  and  the  line  of  planters  who 
were  scouring  the  woods  with  their  dogs.  It 
was  a  vain  hope,  but  I  knew  not  then  the  gi- 
gantic plan  of  search  which  had  been  organized. 

The  visions  which  had  made  the  lonely 
forest  almost  a  paradise,  now  grew  dimmer  and 
dimmer.  The  roses  faded,  and  all  the  forms  of 
beauty  vanished  into  thin  air. 

The  chill  horror  of  my  situation  froze  deeper 
into  my  veins.  I  would  find  myself  walking 
along,  almost  asleep,  then  would  wander  a  short 
distance  from  the  road  to  a  secluded  spot, 
• — throw  myself  down  on  the  flooded  ground, 
and  sleep  a  few  minutes ;  then  would  awaken, 
almost  drowned  by  the  pitiless  rain,  and  so 
eore  and  benumbed  that  I  could  scarcely  stagger 
to  my  feet,  and  plod  onward. 

Thus  that  dreary  night  wore  on ;  it  seemed 
an  age  of  horror,  and  placed  a  shuddering  gulf 
between  rny  present  life  and  the  past.  But  at 
last  the  cold  gray  of  a  clouded  morning  broke 
through  the  weeping  sky.  Day  brought  no 
relief.  Every  one  1  saw  seemed  to  be  a  foe. 
Still  I  did  not  avoid  them.  I  carefully  washed 
all  traces  of  that  terrible  night  from  my  clothes. 
The  wet  did  not  matter,  for  the  rain  was  still 
falling  fast  enough  to  account  for  that. 


106  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 


CHAPTEE    VII. 

Sabbath — Continuous  Rain — Press  Onward — Observed — 
Arrested — Curious  Examination — Equivocating  for  Life 
— Plans  Foiled  by  Unexpected  News — Plundered — Jail — 
Terrible  Reflections — New  and  Hopeful  Resolve — Un- 
welcome Visitors — Vigilance  Committee  Disappointed 
— Ordered  to  Chattanooga — A  Mob — Chained  to  the 
Carriage — Escort — The  Journey — Musings  —  Arrival — 
Another  Mob  —  Benevolent  Gentleman  (1)  —  General 
Leadbetter — Andrews. 

IT  was  Sabbath  morning,  but  it  came  not  to 
me  with  the  blessed  calmness  and  peace  that 
accompany  it  in  my  own  sweet  Ohio.  I  saw  the 
people  going  to  church,  and  longed  to  go  with 
them,  but  dared  not  encounter  the  prying  eyes 
that  would  have  greeted  a  stranger,  even  if  I 
had  wished  thus  to  loiter  on  my  journey. 

But  why  should  I  dwell  longer  on  this  dreary 
morning?  why  linger  over  its  miseries,  deep- 
ened by  the  faintness  of  the  hope  that  they 
would  ever  cease,  and  give  me  again  to  the 
comfort  and  love  of  home  ?  I  wandered  on  till 
about  noon,  when  I  was  observed  by  some  one 
on  the  watch  for  strangers.  This  was  just  be- 
yond Lafayette,  Georgia.  A  party  of  pursuit 
was  at  once  organized  numbering  twenty  or 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      107 

more.  I  knew  nothing  of  my  danger,  till  they 
were  within  about  fifty  yards  of  me;  when  they 
ordered  me  to  stop. 

I  put  my  hand  on  my  pistol,  and  looked 
round.  The  country  was  level  and  open  for 
some  distance,  and  I  was  too  weary  to  run, 
even  if  some  of  the  party  had  not  been 
mounted ;  therefore  I  made  a  virtue  of  neces- 
sity, and  stopped,  asking  what  they  wanted. 
'They  replied  that  they  wanted  to  talk  with  me 
awhile.  Soon  they  came  up,  and  a  little,  con- 
ceited man,  who  had  the  epaulets  of  a  lieu- 
tenant, but  whom  they  called  major,  undertook 
to  question  me.  He  was  very  bland  about  it, 
and  apologized  hugely  for  interrupting  me,  but 
said  if  I  was  a  patriotic  man,  as  he  had  no 
doubt  I  was,  I  would  willingly  undergo  a 
slight  inconvenience  for  the  good  of  the  Con- 
federacy. I  endeavored  to  imitate  his  polite- 
ness, and  begged  him  to  proceed  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  assuring  him  that  he 
would  find  nothing  wrong.  He  then  searched 
me  very  closely  for  papers,  looking  over  my 
money  and  pistol,  but  found  nothing  suspi- 
cious. 

He  next  asked  me  who  I  was,  where  I  came 
from,  and  where  I  was  going.  I  told  him  that 
I  was  a  citizen  of  Kentucky,  who  had  been  dis- 


108  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING ;   OR 

gusted  with  the  tyranny  of  Lincoln,  and  was 
ready  to  fight  against  it ;  that  I  came  to  Chatta- 
nooga, but  would  not  enlist  at  that  place,  be- 
cause most  of  the  troops  there  were  conscripts, 
and  the  few  volunteers  were  very  poorly  armed. 
I  told  him  all  about  where  I  had  been  in  Chat- 
tanooga, and  the  troops  there,  for  I  had  heard  a 
good  deal  said  about  them  as  I  went  down  on 
the  cars  to  Marietta,  on  the  previous  Friday 
evening.  I  had  also  heard  them  praising  the 
First  Georgia,  which  was  with  Beauregard,  and 
now  told  the  Major  that  I  wanted  to  join  it. 
He  then  asked  why  I  did  not  proceed  at  once 
to  Corinth,  without  going  so  far  around  the 
country.  I  alleged  that  General  Mitchel  was 
in  the  way  at  Huntsville,  and  that  I  was  merely 
making  a  circuit  far  enough  around  to  be  out 
of  the  danger  of  capture. 

This  seemed  to  be  perfectly  satisfactory  to 
the  little  man,  and  turning  to  the  crowd  he 
said : 

"  We  may  as  well  let  this  fellow  go  on,  for  he 
seems  to  be  all  right." 

These  words  rejoiced  me,  but  my  joy  was 
premature.  A  dark-complexioned -man,  who 
sat  on  his  horse,  with  his  hat  drawn  down  over 
his  brows,  raised  his  eyes  slowly,  and  drawled 
out : 


THE    GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         109 

'Well,  y  e-s !  Perhaps  we'd  as  well  take 
him  back  to  town,  and  if  all's  right,  maybe  we 
can  help  him  on  to  Corinth." 

This  was  rather  more  help  than  I  wanted,  but 
it  was  useless  to  demur. 

They  conducted  me  to  the  largest  hotel  in 
the  place,  where  I  was  received  very  kindly. 
Soon  a  number  of  lawyers  came  in,  and  com- 
menced asking  me  all  kinds  of  hard  questions. 
I  answered  as  well  as  I  could.  When  I  told 
them  I  was  from  Kentucky,  they  wished  to 
know  the  county.  I  told  them  Fleming. 
Then  they  asked  the  county  seat.  This  also  I 
was  able  to  give ;  but  when  they  required  me 
to  give  the  counties  which  bounded  it,  I  was 
nonplussed.  I  mentioned  a  few  at  random,  but 
suspect  most  of  them  were  wrong.  They  said 
it  looked  suspicious  to  find  a  man  who  could 
not  bound  his  own  county,  but  proceeded  in 
their  examination. 

They  requested  a  narrative  of  my  journey  all 
the  way  through  from  Kentucky.  This  I  gave 
very  easily,  as  long  as  it  was  on  ground  that 
was  not  accessible  to  them ;  but  it  sorely  puzzled 
me  to  account  for  the  time  I  had  been  on  the 
railroad,  and  for  the  last  night,  which  I  spent 
in  the  woods.  I  had  to  invent  families  with 
whom  I  stayed — tell  the  number  of  children  and 


110  DARING    AND    SUFFERING;    OR 

servants  at  each,  and  all  the  particulars.  This 
was  rather  perilous,  as  many  of  my  auditors 
knew  all  the  country  around  which  I  was  thus 
fancifully  populating ;  but  I  had  no  alternative. 
I  might  have  refused  to  answer  at  all,  but  this 
would  have  been  construed  into  positive  proof 
of  guilt — at  least  as  good  as  a  mob  would  have 
required.  Besides,  I  still  had  a  faint  hope  that 
they  might  be  induced  to  release  me,  and  allow 
me  to  continue  my  journey.  As  it  was,  my  as- 
surance  puzzled  them  somewhat,  and  they  held 
numerous  private  consultations. 

But  while  they  were  thus  deliberating  over 
my  case,  and  could  only  agree  that  it  needed 
further  investigation,  a  man,  riding  a  horse 
covered  with  foam,  dashed  up  to  the  door.  He 
came  from  Einggold,  and  brought  the  news 
that  part  of  the  bridge-burners  had  been  cap- 
tured, and  that  they  had  at  first  pretended  to  be 
citizens  of  Kentucky,  from  Fleming  county, — but, 
on  finding  that  this  did  not  procure  their  re- 
lease, they  confessed  that  they  were  Ohio  sol- 
diers, sent  out  to  burn  the  bridges  on  the 
Georgia  State  Eoad. 

The  remarkable  coincidence  of  their  first 
story  with  the  one  I  had  been  trying  so  hard 
to  make  the  rebels  believe,  produced  a  marked 
change  in  their  conduct  toward  me.  They  at 


THE   GKEAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      Ill 

once  adjourned  to  another  room,  and,  after  a 
brief  consultation,  agreed  to  commit  me  to  jail 
to  await  further  developments. 

The  little  major  was  my  escort.  He  first 
purloined  my  money,  then  took  me  to  the 
county  jail  and  handed  me  over  .to  the  jailor. 
This  personage  took  my  penknife  and  other 
little  articles, — then  led  me  up  stairs, — unfas- 
tened the  door  of  a  cage  of  crossing  iron  bars, 
in  which  was  one  poor  fellow — a  Union  man, 
as  I  afterward  found — and  bade  me  enter.  My 
reflections  could  not  have  been  more  gloomy  if 
the  celebrated  inscription,  Dante,  placed  over 
the  gates  of  hell,  had  been  written  above  the 
massive  iron  door. 

"All  hope  abandon,  ye  who  enter  here." 

My  feelings  were  terrible  when  the  jailor 
turned  the  key  in  the  lock,  secured  the  heavy 
iron  bar  that  crossed  the  door,  and  left  me. 
Never  before  had  I  been  locked  up  as  a  pris- 
oner, and  now  it  was  no  trivial  matter — a  few 
days  or  weeks.  There  was  absolutely  no  hope 
ahead.  I  was  there  as  a  criminal,  and  too  well 
did  I  realize  the  character  of  the  Southern 
people,  to  believe  that  they  would  be  fastidious 
about  proof.  Life  is  held  too  cheap  in  that 
country  to  cause  them  a  long  delay  in  its  dis- 
posal. 


112  DARING  AND   SUFFERING  ;    OR 

In  that  hour,  my  most  distressing  thought 
was  of  my  friends  at  home,  and  particularly  of 
my  mother — thinking  what  would  be  their 
sorrow  when  they  heard  of  my  ignominious 
fate — if  indeed  they  ever  heard,  for  I  had  given 
an  assumed  name.  That  all  my  young  hopes 
and  ambitions,  my  fond  dreams  of  being  useful, 
should  perish,  as  I  then  had  no  doubt  they 
would,  on  a  Southern  scaffold,  seemed  unbear- 
able in  the  extreme.  But  only  one  moment 
did  these  thoughts  sweep  over  me;  the  next 
they  were  rejected  as  not  calculated  to  profit  in 
the  least.  My  first  action  was  to  borrow  from 
my  Union  companion  his  blankets,  of  which  he 
had  a  plentiful  supply,  and  wrap  myself  if* 
them.  The  warmth  they  produced  soon  threw 
me  into  a  deep  sleep, — profound  and  dreamlessx 
— such  as  only  extreme  fatigue  can  afford. 

I  awoke  hours  after,  feeling  much  refreshed, 
but  did  not  at  first  realize  where  I  was ;  yet  a 
glance  at  the  woven  bars  which  everywhere 
bounded  me  in,  brought  back  the  knowledge 
that  I  was  a  prisoner ;  but  I  did  not  give  way 
to  useless  despair.  I  was  almost  amused  at  the 
quaint,  yet  truthful  remark  my  fellow- prisoner 
made  to  me.  Said  he : 

"  If  you  are  innocent  of  the  charge  they  have 
against  you,  there  is  no  hope  for  you.  But  if 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  .ADVENTURE.      113 

it  is  true,  you  may  save  yourself  by  telling 
what  regiment  and  company  you  belong  to,  and 
claiming  protection  as  a  United  States  prisoner 
of  war." 

I  thought  a  good  deal  over  this  opinion,  and 
became  more  and  more  impressed  with  its  wis- 
dom. It  contained  a  truth  that  I  could  not 
gainsay.  To  hang  a  poor  stranger  in  the  South 
would  be  a  common-place  affair — only  what 
was  often  done  by  the  Southerners  before  the 
war  began.  In  fact,  they  did  kill  a  man  at  Dai- 
ton,  under  circumstances  of  the  greatest  cruelty, 
because  he  cheered  as  we  dashed  through  the 
town.  Afterward  they  found  out  that  the  man 
was  as  good  a  rebel  as  any  of  them,  and  had 
merely  cheered  because  he  thought  we,  too,  were 
rebels ;  then  they  set  the  matter  right  by  apo- 
logizing to  his  friends ! 

It  was  quite  different  in  the  case  of  our  sol- 
diers. If  they  were  murdered,  there  was  an 
unpleasant  probability  that  some  of  the  chivalry 
themselves  would  have  to  suffer  in  retaliation. 
Besides,  I  reflected  with  a  glow  of  hope,  the 
first  I  experienced  since  I  fell  into  their  hands, 
that  our  government  held  a  number  of  rebels, 
who  had  been  taken  in  Missouri  on  a  similar 
expedition.  All  day  and  night  I  mused  on 
these  things,  and  endeavored  to  come  to  such  a 
8 


114:  BAKING  AND  SUFFERING;   OB 

decision  as  would  be  for  the  best.  When  I 
heard  of  the  capture  of  many  of  our  party,  and 
the  announcement  of  the  regiments  to  which  they 
belonged,  showing  that  they  had  been  influenced 
by  the  same  considerations  I  had  been  revolving, 
I  at  once  determined  to  rest  my  fate  on  my 
claim  as  a  United  States  soldier.  I  believe 
that  this  decision  ultimately  saved  my  life. 

All  this  time  I  was  not  in  loneliness.  Throngs 
of  Georgians  came  in  to  see  the  caged  Yankee 
— both  ladies  and  gentlemen.  Many  were  the 
odd  remarks  they  made,  criticising  every  fea- 
ture, and  not  a  few  adding  every  possible  word 
of  insult.  The  whole  day  they  crowded  in,  and 
I  was  glad  when  the  approach  of  night  put  an 
end  to  the  annoyance. 

The  coarse  food  the  jailor  brought  was  eaten 
with  such  a  relish  as  hunger  only  can  impart. 
I  was  fortunate  in  respect  to  quantity,  for  my 
companion  was  not  well,  and  could  not  eat 
much ;  but  I  atoned  for  his  shortcoming  by 
eating  both  of  our  allowances  without  difficulty. 

In  the  morning,  they  took  me  before  a  self- 
constituted  committee  of  vigilance.  These  com- 
mittees were  very  common  in  the  South,  and 
still  more  summary  in  their  modes  of  ad- 
ministering justice,  or  rather  vengeance,  than 
were  the  celebrated  vigilance  committees  of  San 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      115 

Francisco,  in  the  early  history  of  the  gold  mines. 
They  were  prepared  with  a  board  of  the  most  emi- 
nent lawyers  in  the  vicinity,  and  no  doubt  hoped 
to  entangle  me  still  more  deeply  in  the  meshes 
of  contradiction  than  they  did  the  day  before. 
But  I  cut  the  whole  matter  short  by  saying : 

"  Gentlemen,  the  statements  I  gave  you  yes- 
terday were  intended  to  deceive  you.  I  will 
now  tell  you  the  truth." 

The  clerk  got  his  pen  ready  to  take  down  the 
information. 

"Go  on,  sir;  go  on,"  said  the  president. 

"  I  am  ready,"  said  I,  "  to  give  you  my  true 
name  and  regiment,  and  to  tell  you  why  I  came 
into  your  country." 

"  Just  what  we  want,  sir.     Go  on,"  said  they. 

"Bat,"  I  returned,  "I  will  make  no  state- 
ment whatever,  until  taken  before  the  regular 
military  authority  of  this  department." 

This  took  them  by  surprise,  and  they  used 
every  threat  and  argument  in  their  power  to 
induce  me  to  change  my  purpose,  but  in  vain. 
My  reason  for  this,  was  to  avoid  the  violence  of 
mob  law.  While  in  the  hands  of  the  populace, 
there  was  danger  of  the  summary  infliction  of 
punishment  that  the  military  authorities  could 
disavow,  if  our  government  threatened  retalia- 
tion. But  if  I  was  once  under  the  regular 


116  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

military  jurisdiction,  they  would  be  responsible 
both  to  the  United  States  and  to  the  civilized 
world. 

When  they  found  that  I  would  tell  them 
nothing  further,  they  made  arrangements  to 
take  me  to  Chattanooga,  which  was  distant 
twenty  miles.  It  was  the  same  to  Kinggold, 
near  which  we  abandoned  the  train.  Thus  it 
will  be  seen  that  in  that  long  and  terrible  night 
I  had  traveled  twenty  miles  in  a  straight  line, 
and,  with  my  meanderings,  must  have  walked 
fifty. 

I  was  remanded  to  the  jail  to  wait  for  the 
preparation  of  a  suitable  escort.  Here  I  re- 
mained till  after  dinner,  when  I  was  guarded  by 
about  a  dozen  men  to  the  public  square.  A 
carriage  was  in  waiting,  in  which  I  was  placed, 
and  then  commenced  the  process  of  tying  and 
chaining. 

A  great  mob  gathered  around,  completely 
filling  the  whole  square,  and  was  exceedingly 
angry  and  excited.  They  questioned  me  in 
loud  and  imperious  tones,  demanding  why  I 
came  down  there  to  fight  them,  aud  adding 
every  possible  word  of  insult.  I  heard  many 
significant  hints  about  getting  ropes,  and  the 
folly  of  taking  me  down  to  Chattanooga,  when 
I  could  be  hanged  just  as  well  there. 


THE   GREAT  BAILKOAD  ADVENTURE.       117 

However,  as  tlie  mob  grew  more  violent  in 
their  denunciations,  I  selected  some  of  the  more 
intelligent  ones  and  addressed  them.  They 
answered  with  curses ;  but  in  the  very  act  of 
cursing,  they  grew  milder  and  more  willing  to 
converse.  I  was  not  very  much  in  the  humor 
for  talking,  but  following  the  dictates  of  policy 
rather  than  inclination,  I  answered  their  innuen- 
does merrily,  and  soon  had  some  of  the  laugh- 
ers on  my  side.  Before  long,  I  heard  some  of 
them  say,  "  Pity  he  is  a  Yankee,  for  he  seems  to 
be  a  good  fellow."  This  was  gratifying,  and 
we  were  soon  ready  to  start. 

I  had  been  secured  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make 
assurance  doubly  sure.  A  heavy  chain  was  put 
around  my  neck  and  fastened  by  a  padlock ;  the 
other  end  was  hitched  to  one  foot,  and  secured 
in  the  same  manner  ;  the  chain  being  extended 
to  its  full  length,  while  I  was  in  a  sitting  posi- 
tion, making  it  impossible  for  me  to  rise. — 
My  hands  were  tied  together;  my  elbows 
were  pinioned  to  my  side  by  ropes;  and,  to 
crown  all,  I  was  firmly  bound  to  the  carriage 
seat ! 

My  evil  genius,  the  little  major,  took  the  seat 
beside  me  as  driver.  He  was  armed  to  the 
teeth.  Two  other  officers  on  horseback,  like- 
wise fully  armed,  constituted  the  rest  of  the 


118  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

guard  that  was  thought  necessary  to  attend  one 
chained  and  helpless  Yankee.  Oh !  spirit  of 
chivalry  !  how  art  thou  fallen !  No  longer  one 
brave  Southern  knight  a  match  for  eight  or  ten 
Northern  mudsills ;  but  three  well-armed  offi- 
cers to  guard  one  chained  Union  soldier !  The 
same  exaggerated  caution  I  frequently  noticed 
afterward.  There  seemed  to  be  a  perpetual 
fear  on  the  minds  of  the  miscreants  that  we  were 
about  to  do  something  desperate. 

As  we  journeyed  along,  the  sky,  which  for 
days  had  been  overcast,  and,  during  that  time, 
had  hardly  afforded  us  a  glimpse  of  its  celestial 
blue,  became  suddenly  clear.  The  sun  shone 
out  in  beauty,  and  smiled  on  the  first  faint 
dawnings  of  spring  that  lay  in  tender  green  on 
the  surrounding  hills.  I  am  ever  very  sensi- 
tive to  the  influences  of  nature  in  all  its  phases, 
and  now  felt  my  spirit  grow  more  light  as  I 
breathed  the  fresh  air,  and  listened  to  the  sing- 
ing of  the  birds. 

My  companions  were  quite  talkative,  and 
though  I  hated  them  for  the  indignity  they  had 
thus  put  upon  me  in  chaining  me  as  a  criminal, 
yet  I  knew  it  would  be  unavailing  to  indulge 
a  surly  and  vindictive  disposition,  and  there- 
fore talked  as  fast  and  as  lively  as  they  could. 

My  guards,  themselves,  did  not  subject  me  to 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      119 

any  insults,  and  even  endeavored  to  prove  that 
the  extraordinary  manner  in  which  I  was  bound 
was  a  compliment  to  me.  I  could  not  see  it  in 
that  light,  and  would  have  willingly  excused 
the  tying  and  the  compliment  together !  The 
worst  was  that  when  they  passed  any  house 
they  would  call  out,  "  We've  got  a  live  Yankee 
here ;"  then  men,  women,  and  children,  would 
rush  to  the  door,  and  stare  as  though  they  saw 
some  great  monster,  asking  : 

"  Whar  did  you  ketch  him  ?  Goin'  to  hang 
him  when  you  get  him  to  Chattanooga  ?"  and 
similar  expressions  without  end. 

This  was  only  amusing  at  first,  but  its  per- 
petual recurrence  soon  grew  terribly  wearisome, 
and  was  not  without  its  effect  in  making  me  be- 
lieve they  really  would  hang  me.  In  fact,  my 
expectation  of  escaping  was  never  very  bright ; 
yet  I  considered  it  my  duty  to  keep  up  my 
spirits  as  well  as  I  could,  and  not  despair  till  it 
really  was  certain  that  there  remaiDed  no 
ground  for  hope.  The  afternoon  wore  slowly 
away  as  we  traveled  along,  passing  some  very 
grand  and  romantic  scenery,  that  in  any  other 
frame  of  mind  would  have  been  enthusiastically 
enjoyed ;  but  now  my  thoughts  were  otherwise 
engaged. 

It  was  not  the  thought  of  death  I  so  much 


120  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

dreaded,  as  the  manner  of  death.  Death  amid 
the  smoke,  and  excitement,  and  glory  of  battle, 
was  not  half  so  terrible  as  in  the  awful  calm- 
ness and  chill  horror  of  the  scaffold!  And 
sadder  yet,  to  think  of  my  friends,  who  would 
count  the  weary  months  that  had  gone  by,  and 
wish  and  long  for  my  return,  till  hope  became 
torturing  suspense,  and  suspense  deepened  into 
despair.  These  thoughts  were  almost  too  much 
for  stoicism ;  yet  there  was  no  alternative  but 
to  patiently  endure. 

The  sun  went  down,  and  night  came  on — 
deep,  calm,  and  clear.  One  by  one  the  stars 
twinkled  into  light.  •  I  gazed  upon  their  beauty 
with  new  feelings,  as  I  wondered  whether  the 
short,  revolving  course  of  a  few  more  suns 
might  not  bring  me  a  dweller  above  the  stars ! 
And  as  I  thought  of  the  blessed  rest  for  the 
weary  beyond  the  shores  of  time,  my  thoughts 
took  a  new  direction.  I  was  not  then  a -pro- 
fessor of  Christianity,  but  had  often  and  be- 
lievingly  thought  of  the  great  interests  of  the 
future,  and  had  resolved  to  make  them  my  par- 
ticular study ;  but  had  never  hitherto  addressed 
myself  in  earnest  to  the  task,  and  latterly,  the 
confusion  and  bustle  of  a  camp-life  had  almost 
driven  the  subject  out  of  my  mind.  But  now, 
whether  it  came  from  the  clustering  stars 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      121 

above,  or  from  the  quiet  and  stillness  so  con- 
genial to  exhausted  nature,  after  the  weariness 
and  excitement  of  the  last  few  days,  or  from  a 
still  deeper  source,  I  know  not.  I  only  know 
that  the  memory  of  that  night,  when  I  was 
thus  being  carried  chained  to  an  unknown  fate, 
is  one  of  the  sweetest  of  my  life.  My  babbling 
guards  had  subsided  into  silence,  and,  as  we 
wended  along  through  the  gathering  darkness, 
high  and  noble  thoughts  of  the  destiny  of  man 
filled  my  breast,  and  death  seemed  only  the 
shining  gate  to  eternal  and  blissful  life.  I  was 
nerved  for  any  fate. 

We  arrived  at  Chattanooga  while  a  feeble 
glow  of  the  soft  spring  twilight  still  lingered 
on  the  earth.  We  immediately  drove  to  the 
headquarters  of  General  Leadbetter,  then  com- 
manding that  place,  and  while  our  guards  as- 
cended to  inform  him  of  our  arrival,  I  was  left 
in  *the  carriage.  As  soon  as  we  entered  the 
town,  the  word  was  given  : 

"  We've  got  a  live  Yankee ;  one  that  took  the 
train  the  other  day." 

I  was  not  the  first  one  of  the  party  captured, 
but  was  the  first  brought  to  Chattanooga.  The 
curiosity  to  see  one  of  the  men  who  had  fright- 
ened women  and  children  into  the  woods,  was, 


122  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

of  course,  most  extreme,  and  an  immense 
crowd  soon  gathered  around.  They  behaved 
just  as  Southern  mobs  usually  do — jeering  and 
hooting — calling  me  by  every  epithet  of  re- 
proach the  language  afforded,  and  wanting  to 
know  why  I  came  down  there  to  burn  their 
property,  and  murder  them  and  their  children. 
To  these  multitudinous  questions  and  as- 
sertions I  made  no  answer.  I  was  greatly 
amused  (afterward !)  by  their  criticisms  on  my 
appearance.  One  would  say  that  "it  was  a 
pity  that  so  young  and  clever-looking  a  man 
should  be  caught  in  such  a  scrape."  Another, 
of  more  penetrating  cast,  could  tell  that "  he 
was  a  rogue  by  his  appearance — probably  came 
out  of  prison  in  his  own  country."  Another 
was  surprised  that  I  could  hold  up  my  head 
and  look  around  on  honest  men — arguing  that 
such  brazen  effrontery  was  a  proof  of  enormous 
depravity  of  heart.  I  did  not  give  my  opinion 
on  the  subject.  Indeed,  it  was  not  asked. 

There  was  one  man  I  noticed  in  particular. 
He  was  tall  and  venerable-looking ;  had  gray 
hair,  gray  beard,  a  magnificent  forehead,  and 
an  altogether  commanding  and  intellectual  ex- 
pression of  countenance.  He  was  treated  with 
great  deference,  and  appeared  to  me  most  like 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      123 

a  doctor  of  divinity.  As  he  parted  his  way 
through  the  crowd  toward  me,  I  thought: 

"  Surely  I  will  receive  some  sympathy  from 
that  noble-looking  man." 

His  first  question  was  calculated  to  confirm 
my  impression.  Said  he  : 

"  How  old  are  you  ?" 

I  answered,  "  Twenty-two,  sir." 

Gradually  his  lip  wreathed  itself  into  a  curl 
of  unutterable  scorn,  as  he  slowly  continued : 

"  Poor  young  fool !  and  I  suppose  you  was  a 
school-teacher,  or  something  of  that  kind  in 
your  own  land !  and  you  thought  you  would 
come  down  here  and  rob  us,  and  burn  our 
houses,  and  murder  us,  did  you  ?  Now  let  me 
give  you  a  little  advice :  if  you  ever  get  home 
again,  (but  you  never  will,)  do  try,  for  God's 
sake,  and  have  a  little  better  sense,  and  stay 
there  !" 

Then  he  turned  contemptuously  on  his  heel, 
and  strode  away,  while  the  rabble  around  re- 
warded him  with  a  cheer.  I  never  could  find 
out  who  he  was.  After  that  I  looked  no  more 
for  sympathy  in  that  crowd. 

My  conductors  now  returned,  and  escorted  me 
into  the  presence  of  General  Leadbetter.  They 
said  he  was  a  Northern  man :  but  if  so,  it  is 
very  little  credit  to  my  section,  for  he  was  one 


124  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

of  the  most  contemptible  individuals  I  ever 
knew.  He  was  a  perfect  sot,  and  had  just  two 
states  of  body,  as  a  Confederate  captain  after- 
wards explained  to  us — these  were,  dead  drunk, 
and  gentlemanly  drunk.  He  oscillated  con- 
stantly between  these  two.  He  was  a  coward 
as  well,  and  though  only  a  brigadier-general, 
managed  to  stay  as  far  away  from  the  .field 
when  the  fight  was  going  on,  as  one  of  our  own 
most  conspicuous  major-generals  did.  He  had 
been  promoted  to  his  present  position  for  his 
gallantry  in  hanging  some  defenceless  East  Ten- 
nessee citizens,  which  he  did  without  a  trial. 

All  these  facts  I  learned  afterward,  except 
one,  which  was  apparent  when  I  entered  the 
room.  He  was  "  gentlemanly  drunk."  He 
commenced  questioning  me,  and  I  told  him 
partly  the  truth,  and  partly  not — going  on  the 
principle  that  truth  is  a  pearl,  and  pearls  are 
not  to  be  thrown  before  swine.  I  told  him  that 
I  was  a  United  States  soldier,  giving  him  my 
company  and  regiment ;  but  saying  that  I  was 
detailed  without  my  consent,  that  I  was  igno- 
rant of  where  I  was  going,  and  what  I  was  to 
perform,  which  I  only  learned  as  fast  as  I  was 
to  execute  it.  He  wanted  to  know  our  inten- 
tion in  thus  seizing  the  engine,  but  I  plead 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      125 

ignorance.  He  next  inquired  who  was  our  en- 
gineer, but  I  refused  to  tell.  He  then  said  : 

"  Sir,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  just  how  many 
men  you  had  on  that  train,  and  to  describe  them 
so  I  may  know  when  I  get  them." 

I  answered,  "  General,  I  have  freely  told  you 
whatever  concerns  only  myself,  because  I 
thought  it  better  that  you  should  know  that 
I  am  a  soldier  under  the  protection  of  the 
United  States,  but  I  have  not  yet  become  base 
enough  to  describe  my  comrades !" 

"  0  !"  sneered  he,  "  I  don't  know  that  I  ought 
to  have  asked  you  that."  • 

"I  think  not,  sir,"  I  replied. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  know  all  about  it.  Your 
leader's  name  is  Andrews.  What  kind  of  a  man 
is  he?" 

I  was  perfectly  astonished  that  he  should 
have  Andrews'  name,  and  know  him  to  be  our 
leader ;  but  I  never  imagined  what  I  afterward 
found  to  be  the  true  cause — that  Andrews  had 
been  captured,  and  had  given  his  name,  with 
the  fact  that  he  was  the  leader  of  the  expe- 
dition. I  had  every  confidence  that  he  would 
get  away,  and  try  some  measures  for  our  relief; 
so  I  answered  boldly : 

"  I  can  tell  you  only  one  thing  about  him, 


126  DARING  AND   SUFFERING:    OB 


and  that  is,  he  is  a  man  whom  you  will  never 
catch." 

I  thought  I  noticed  a  peculiar  smile  on  the 
General's  face  as  I  said  this,  but  he  only  replied  : 

"  That  will  do  for  you ;"  and  turning  to  a 
captain  who  stood  by,  he  continued,  "  take  him 
to  the  hole ;  you  know  where  that  is." 

With  a  nod  in  reply,  the  captain  took  me  out 
of  the  room.  As  I  passed  through  the  door,  I 
saw  an  explanation  of  the  General's  smile. 
There  stood  Andrews,  ironed,  waiting  an  au- 
dience, and  Marion  Ross  and  John  Williams 
with  him.  I  did  not  choose  to  recognize  them ; 
for  such  recognition  might  have  compromised 
them,  as  I  knew  not  what  course  they  would 
pursue. 


THE  GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      127 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

Negro  Prison — Swims,  the  Jailor — Horrible  Dungeon — 
Black  Hole  of  Calcutta — Suffocation — Union  Prisoners 
— Slave  Catching — Our  Party  Reunited — Breakfast  Low- 
ered by  Rope — Hunger — Counseling — Fiendish  Barba- 
rity— Chained  in  the  Dungeon — Andrews  tried  as  a  Spy 
and  Traitor — Sweet,  but  Stolen  News — Removed  from 
Dungeon — Pure  Air  and  Sunlight — Attacked  by  a  Mob 
— "A  Friend" — Madison — Daring  Adventure  and  Nar- 
row Escape. 

THE  captain  now  called  a  guard  of  eight 
men,  and  conducted  me  through  the  streets  for 
some  time  ;  at  last  we  came  to  a  little  brick 
building,  surrounded  by  a  high  board  fence. 
Those  who  have  ever  been  in  Chattanooga,  and 
visited  the  negro  prison,  will  recognize  my  de- 
scription. A  portion  of  the  building  was 
occupied  by  the  jailor,  but  the  prison  part  con- 
sisted of  two  rooms,  one  under  the  other,  and 
also  partly  underground.  This  under  room 
had  no  entrance  from  the  outside,  but  was  ac- 
cessible only  through  a  trap-door  from  the  room 
directly  overhead. 

Chattanooga  is  not  a  county-seat,  and,  there- 
fore, this  prison  was  built  only  for.  the  accom- 
modation of  negroes  by  their  humane  owners. 


128  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING ;   OR 

The  jailor,  Swims,  was  a  character,  and  merits 
a  particular  description.  He  was  an  old  man — 
perhaps  sixty.  His  hair,  which  was  very 
abundant,  was  white  as  snow,  and  his  face  had 
a  dry  and  withered  expression.  His  voice  was 
always  keyed  on  a  whining  tone,  except  when 
some  great  cause,  such  as  the  demand  of  prison- 
ers for  an  extra  bucket  of  water,  excited  him, 
and  then  it  rose  to  a  hoarse  scream.  Avarice 
was  his  predominant,  almost  his  only,  charac- 
teristic. He  seemed  to  think  his  accommoda- 
tions were  vastly  too  good  for  negroes  and 
Yankees,  and  that  when  they  were  admitted 
within  his  precincts,  they  should  be  thankful, 
and  give  as  little  trouble  as  possible.  With 
such  notions,  it  was  not  wonderful  that  he  man- 
aged to  make  the  lot  of  the  prisoner  an  uncom- 
fortable one.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was  very 
fond  of  a  dram,  and  frequently  became  suffi- 
ciently intoxicated  to  reveal  many  important 
matters  that  we  would  not  otherwise  have 
learned. 

He  bustled  to  the  gate,  growling  all  the  time 
about  being  troubled  so  much,  unlocked  it,  and 
admitting  us,  led  us  up  the  outside  stairway, 
and  then  into  the  upper  room.  I  now  saw  why 
the  General  called  the  place  a  "  hole,"  and  truly 
I  thought  the  name  was  appropriate.  It  was 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      129 

only  .thirteen  feet  square,  destitute  of  every 
convenience,  without  chairs,  beds,  or  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  There  were  in  it  five  or  six 
old,  miserable-looking  men,  who  had  not  been 
washed  for  months.  The  place  looked  hard  to 
me,  and  I  shuddered  at  the  idea  of  taking  up 
my  abode  in  such  a  den.  But  I  soon  found 
that  I  was  not  to  enjoy  that  luxury. 

Said  the  jailor  to  the  captain,  "  Where  shall 
I  put  him  ?" 

"  Below,  of  course,"  was  the  reply. 

The  jailor  then  advanced  to  the  middle  of 
the  floor,  and  taking  a  large  key  from  his 
pocket,  knelt  down  and  unlocked  two  rusty 
locks ;  then,  with  a  great  effort,  raised  a  pon- 
derous trap-door  just  at  my  feet.  The  hot  air 
and  the  stifling  stench  smote  me  back,  but  the 
bayonets  of  the  guards  were  just  behind,  and  I 
was  compelled  to  move  forward  again.  A  long 
ladder  was  next  thrust  down  through  the  trap- 
door, and  the  inmates  warned  to  stand  from 
under.  A  mingled  volley  of  cries,  oaths,  and 
questions  ascended,  and  the  ladder  was  secured. 
The  captain  then  ordered  me  to  descend  into 
what  seemed  more  like  Pandemonium  than  any 
place  on  earth.  Down  I  went  into  the  cim- 
merian  gloom — clambering  step  by  step  to  a 
depth  of  full  v  thirteen  feet;  for  the  place,  as  I 
9 


130  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

afterwards  learned,  when  I  had  more  leisure  for 
observation,  was  a  'cube,  just  thirteen  feet  each 
way.  I  stepped  off  the  ladder,  treading  on 
human  beings  I  could  not  discern,  and  crowd- 
ing in  as  best  I  might. 

The  heat  was  so  great  that  the  perspiration 
broke  from  me  in  streams.  The  footed  air 
made  me  for  a  time  deadly  sick,  and  I  won- 
dered whether  it  could  be  possible  they  would 
leave  human  beings  in  this  horrible  place  to 
perish.  The  thought  of  the  black  hole  at  Cal- 
cutta, where  so  many  Englishmen  died,  rushed 
over  me.  True,  this  was  done  by  the  cruel  and 
savage  East  Indians,  while  we  were  in  the  hands 
of  "our  Southern  brethern,"  the  "chivalry;" 
but  I  could  not  perceive  that  this  difference  of 
captors  made  any  difference  of  treatment. 

My  breath  came  thick  and  heavy,  and  I 
thought  of  suffocation.  The  ladder  was  drawn 
up,  and  with  a  dull  and  heavy  sound  that 
seemed  crushing  down  on  my  heart,  the  trap- 
door fell.  I  wedged  and  jammed  my  way 
through  the  living  throng  to  the  window.  The 
one  I  reached  was  just  under  the  wooden  stairs, 
and,  of  course,  gave  no  light.  The  other  was 
below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  were 
at  opposite  sides  of  the  room,  and  were  only 
about  a  foot  square,  being  filled  with  a  triple 


THE   GEE  AT   RAILED  AD   ADVENTUEE.      131 

row  of  thick  set  iron  bars,  that  almost  excluded 
every  current  of  air.  I  pressed  my  face  close 
to  the  bars,  and  breathed  the  purest  air  I  could 
get,  until  I  became  partly  reconciled  to  the  op- 
pression, and  then  turned  to  ascertain  the  con- 
dition of  my  companions.  It  was  wretched 
beyond  description.  They  were  ragged,  dirty, 
and  crawling  with  vermin.  Most  of  them  were 
nearly  naked ;  but  this  was  no  inconvenience 
there,  for  it  was  so  warm  that  those  who  had 
clothes  were  obliged  to  take  them  off,  and 
nearly  all  were  in  a  state  of  nudity.  I  soon 
found  it  necessary  myself  to  disrobe,  and  even 
then  the  perspiration  poured  off  me  most  pro- 
fusely. It  was  an  atmosphere  of  death. 

Yet  among  the  prisoners  were  old  men,  just 
trembling  on  the  verge  of  the  grave,  who  were 
arrested  merely  because  they  had  ventured  to 
express  a  preference  for  the  old,  well-tried  Gov- 
ernment, over  the  new,  slave-built  Confederacy. 
The  cruelty  practiced  on  the.  Tennessee  Union 
men  will  never  half  be  told.  It  forms  the  dark- 
est page  in  the  history  of  the  war.  In  every 
prison  of  which  I  was  an  inmate  in  Georgia  and 
Virginia,  as  well  as  in  Tennessee,  I  found  these 
miserable  but  patriotic  men  thus  heartlessly  im- 
mured. But  I  will  speak  more  of  them  here- 


132  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

after ;  at  that  time  the  thought  of  my  own  dan- 
ger banished  every  other  consideration. 

There  were  fourteen  white  men  in  the  room 
beside  myself,  and  one  negro.  I  wonder  what 
those  tender  soldiers,  who  consider  it  deroga- 
tory to  their  dignity  to  fight  in  the  same  army 
that  blacks  do,  would  think  if  they  were  con- 
fined with  them  so  closely  that  there  was  no 
possibility  of  getting  away.  But  we  endured 
too  many  real  evils  to  fret  at  imaginary  ones ; 
and  besides,  Aleck  was  so  kind  and  accommo- 
dating, so  anxious  to  do  everything  in  his 
power  for  us,  that  he  soon  became  a  general 
favorite;  and  when  he  was  taken  out  to  be 
whipped,  as  he  was  several  times,  to  ascertain 
whether  he  was  telling  a  true  story  or  not,  we 
could  not  help  feeling  the  sincerest  sympathy 
for  him. 

The  Southern  method  of  catching  stray 
negroes  is  about  this :  When  one  is  found  travel- 
ing without  a  pass,  he  is  arrested,  taken  to  the 
jail,  and  severely  flogged.  This  usually  brings 
some  kind  of  a  confession  from  him,  and  he  is 
advertised  in  accordance  with  that  confession. 
If  no  answer  is  received  in  a  limited  time,  it 
is  taken  for  granted  that  he  lied,  and  he  is 
whipped  again,  in  order  to  bring  a  new  confes- 
sion. Thus  they  continue  alternately  whipping 


THE    GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      133 

and  advertising,  till  the  close  of  the  year.  If  a 
master  is  found  before  this,  he  can  pay  the  costs 
and  take  his  property  ;  if  not,  the  negro  is  sold  to 
pay  the  jail  and  whipping  fees.  No  trial  is  ever 
allowed  at  which  the  negro  might  prove  himself 
free.  When  once  arrested  his  doom  is  sealed, 
and  in  this  way  many  free  negroes  are  enslaved. 

Aleck  had  been  in  this  prison  seven  months, 
and  was  to  remain  five  more,  with  no  other 
prospect  than  that  of  being  sold  into  perpetual 
bondage ! 

Every  society  has  its  aristocrats,  and  here  I 
soon  found  that  the  eminence  was  given  to  those 
who  were  charged  with  the  most  daring  deeds. 
The  spy — there  was  but  one  so  accused,  and  he 
was  blind,* — was  considered  much  above  the 
ordinary  Union  men.  I  was  charged  with  the 
greatest  adventure  of  any  confined  there,  and, 
of  course,  was  treated  with  becoming  deference. 

I  was  not  long  the  only  one  of  the  engine- 
thieves,  (by  which  name  we  were  known  during 
our  stay  in  the  Confederacy,)  who  was  confined 
in  this  dungeon.  Soon  the  trap-door  again 
opened,  causing  a  stream  of  comparatively  cool 
air  from  the  room  above  to  rush  down.  It  was 
an  inconceivable  relief — a  luxury  that  none 

*  The  rebels  thought  he  was  counterfeiting  blindness, 
but  I  believe  it  was  real. 


134  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

could  appreciate  who  had  not,  as  we  had,  been 
deprived  of  that  greatest  blessing  God  has 
given  to  man — pure  air. 

We  wondered  who  was  coming  next,  as  the 
feeble  glimmering  of  a  candle  above  revealed 
several  forms  descending.  The  Tennesseeans 
cried  out : 

"  Don't  put  any  more  down  here !  We're 
full  1  "  We'll  die  if  more  are  put  down !" 
which  did  not  seem  improbable. 

But  these  remonstrances  produced  no  effect. 
Down  they  came,  and  I,  stationing  myself  at 
the  foot  of  the  ladder,  spoke  something  indiffe- 
rently to  them,  and  heard  my  name  called  in 
return. 

It  was  Andrews,  Wollam,  and  Koss,  who 
gave  me  their  hands  in  silent  condolence  of  our 
common  misery.  Still  others  were  brought,  I 
do  not  now  remember  whether  that  evening,  or 
in  the  morning.  Again  the  door  was  closed, 
and  the  free  air,  which  had  seemed  to  flow  to  us 
in  sympathy,  was  once  more  shut  out. 

We  tried  to  arrange  ourselves  to  secure  the 
repose  we  so  much  needed,  but  the  room  was 
too  small.  Think  of  this,  ye  who  sleep  on  your 
downy  beds  at  home.  Here  were  your  bro- 
thers of  Ohio,  not  only  compelled  to  sleep  on 
the  bare  floor,  but  not  even  enough  of  that,  in 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      135 

this  vilest  of  dens,  on  which  to  lie  down  at  all ! 
and  yet  some  of  you  sympathize  with  those  who 
were  the  authors  of  this  cruelty,  and  think  it  50 
hard  that  their  property  should  be  confiscated 
for  such  trifles  as  these,  and,  worst  of  all,  that 
their  negroes  should  be  taken  from  them ! 
What  shall  we  think  of  you  f 

We  did  the  best  we  could.  Some  found  room 
to  lie  down.  Others  sat  against  the  wall,  and 
still  others  leaned  on  the  breasts  of  those  who 
were  thus  supported.  It  is  no  wonder  if,  while 
in  such  a  situation  we  should  be  afflicted  with 
the  nightmare,  and  have  innumerable  bad 
dreams.  If  any  one  wanted  to  move  his  posi- 
tion, or  go  for  a  drink,  (and  the  stifling  heat 
rendered  us  all  very  thirsty,)  he  was  sure  to 
tread  on  his  neighbors,  and  tempers  being  natu- 
rally very  short  here,  some  warm  altercations 
took  place,  which  contributed  still  more  to  dis- 
turb our  slumbers. 

The  next  morning  we  slept  late.  Indeed,  as 
long  as  we  remained  in  this  prison  we  were 
inclined  to  sleep  much.  The  great  quantity  of 
carbonic  acid  gas  our  breathing  produced, 
seemed  to  act  as  an  opiate,  and  thus  served,  in 
some  measure,  to  deaden  the  sense  of  pain.  We 
were  aroused  the  next  morning — early,  as  we 
supposed — by  the  opening  of  the  door  above, 


136  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

and  the  delicious  shower  of  cool  air  that  fell 
on  us.  As  we  looked  up,  we  saw  the  white 
head  of  our  old  jailor  bending  over,  and  saying, 
in  drawling  tones,  "  Boys,  here's  your  break- 
fast," and  down  he  lowered  a  bucket,  by  a  rope, 
containing  a  very  small  piece  of  bread,  and  the 
same  of  meat,  for  each  of  us.  This  was  seized 
and  devoured  almost  instantly.  I  had  received 
nothing  to  eat  since  breakfast  the  day  before, 
and  the  little  morsel  I  got  only  served  to 
whet  my  appetite ;  but  there  was  no  more ! 
We  asked  what  time  it  was,  and  were  told  nine 
o'clock.  We  were  also  informed  that  we  would 
get  our  meals  only  twice  a  day.  This  was 
rather  discouraging  information  for  persons  as 
hungry  as  ourselves,  but  we  had  no  remedy. 

During  the  day  a  few  more  of  our  party 
came  in,  and  among  them  was  Gr.  D.  Wilson. 
I  found  that  they  had  all  done  as  I  had  in 
acknowledging  themselves  United  States  sol- 
diers, influenced  by  the  same  reasons,  and  most 
of  them  sooner  than  myself.  We  consulted 
about  the  matter,  and  concluded  that  the  only 
hope  we  had,  was  in  adhering  to  the  same 
story,  and  trying  to  make  them  believe  that  we 
were  actually  detailed  without  our  consent,  and 
without  a  knowledge  of  what  we  had  to  do. 
This  was  true  for  part,  but  not  for  all,  or  even 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.         137 

for  the  most  of  us.  We  agreed  to  conceal  the 
name  of  the  engineer  at  all  hazards — the  fact 
of  a  previous  expedition  being  sent  down  into 
Georgia,  and  that  Campbell  was  not  a  soldier — 
also  our  previous  acquaintance  with  Andrews, 
thus  leaving  him  free  to  make  his  own  defense. 
"With  the  exception  of  these  reserved  facts, 
which  were  not  even  to  be  whispered  among 
ourselves,  we  were  to  talk  freely  ;  to  answer  all 
questions  and  convey  the  impression  that  we 
had  nothing  to  conceal.  We  carried  out  this 
idea,  and,  as  more  of  our  men  came  in,  they 
agreed  to  it,  and  gave,  without  reserve,  their 
true  names,  companies,  and  regiments.  This 
course  gained  us  sympathy  from  those  whose 
bosoms  were  not  steeled  against  every  kindly 
feeling ;  and  to  this,  more  than  anything  else,*  I 
attribute  the  fact  of  some  of  the  party  being 
alive  to-day. 

We  afterward  communicated  our  plan  to 
Andrews,  who  cordially  approved  it— saying 
that  if  we  adhered  to  it  there  would  be  some 
chance  for  our  lives.  We  did  adhere  to  it,  and 
no  amount  of  persuasion,  threatening,  or  pro- 
mises, could  induce  any  of  the  party  to  betray 
one  of  our  reserved  secrets.  The  rebels  were 
particularly  anxious  to  discover  who  was  the 
engineer,  and  would  first  ask  the  question  in 


138  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

the  most  careless  manner ;  then  afterward  would 
sternly  demand  to  know.  They  even  employed 
a  man,  who  was  a  freemason,  to  visit  the  party, 
and  try  to  gain  the  confidence  of  one  of  our 
number,  who  belonged  to  that  order,  and  sub* 
sequently  urge  him  to  tell  the  desired  name, 
under  the  sanction  of  the  masonic  oath !  But 
all  in  vain. 

As  others  of  our  party  joined  us,  in  bands  of 
two  or  three,  they  told  the  story  of  their  cap- 
ture. This  was,  in  some  cases,  most  thrilling, 
and  still  further  illustrates  the  fiendish  barbar- 
ities of  the  rebels. 

Two  of  them,  Parrott  and  Robinson,  who 
were  captured  the  same  day  they  left  the  train, 
were  taken  to  Einggold.  Here  they  endeav- 
ored to  compel  Parrott,  who  was  the  youngest 
looking  of  the  party,  to  betray  his  companions, 
and  particularly  the  engineer ;  but  he  refused  to 
do  it;  then  these  villains  in  Confederate,  uni- 
form, stripped  him  naked,  and  stretched  him 
down  on  a  rock,  four  men  holding  him  by  each 
hand  and  foot,  while  two  others  stood  by  with 
loaded  revolvers,  threatening  him  with  instant 
death  if  he  offered  the  least  resistance ;  then  a 
rebel  lieutenant  commenced  whipping  him  with 
a  raw  hide ;  three  different  times  he  ceased  and 
raised  Parrott  up,  asking  him  if  he  was  ready 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      139 

to  confess ;  but  the  heroic  boy  refused,  and  at 
last  the  whipping  was  discontinued,  after  more 
than  a  hundred  lashes  had  been  inflicted.  His 
back  remained  sore  a  long  time,  and  he  suffered 
very  much  from  being  obliged  to  lie  on  the 
hard  floor.  They  did  not  apply  anything  to 
his  wounds  to  heal  them,  and  the  scars  still 
remain. 

All  the  party  came  in  chained,  but  of  course 
expected,  when  they  were  put  down  into  the 
dungeon — and  such  a  dungeon! — that  they 
would  at  least  have  the  use  of  their  hands.  But 
this  was  too  great  an  indulgence  to  be  allowed. 
"We  were  handcuffed,  and  then  chained  to- 
gether by  the  neck  in  twos  and  threes.  My 
partner  was  William  Reddick,  to  whom  I  was 
strongly  attached  for  some  time  ! 

Thus  chained  together,  packed  into  a  little 
cramped  dungeon,  deprived  even  of  light,  and 
almost  of  air,  crawled  over  by  all  kinds  of 
vermin,  for  there  were  innumerable  rats,  mice, 
and  bugs,  as  well  as  a  smaller  and  still  more 
pestiferous  insect,  we  presented  a  picture  of 
nearly  perfect  misery. 

In  this  state  we  remained  almost  three  weeks. 
During  this  time  Andrews  had  received  aa trial. 
The  evidence  was  strong  against  him.  A  Mr. 
Whiteman,  whom  Andrews  himself  had  di- 


14:0  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

rected  to  be  summoned,  and  who  was  a  former 
business  partner  of  his,  testified  that  Andrews 
had  been  repeatedly  in  the  South,  that  he  had 
professed  allegiance  to  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy, and  in  all  things  represented  himself  to 
be  a  citizen  of  the  same.  In  fact  he  had  passes 
in  his  possession  when  he  was  captured  that 
could  hardly  have  been  obtained  without  his 
taking  the  oath  of  allegiance.  This  did  much 
to  sustain  the  charge  of  treason  against  him,  as 
he  admitted  being  the  leader  of  the  expedition. 
The  other  indictment,  which  was  that  of  being 
a  spy,  was  not  supported  by  any  evidence,  so 
far  as  I  could  learn ;  but  this  was  of  no  import- 
ance, as  the  punishment  of  the  first  charge  was 
death.  However,  the  sentence  was  not  then 
given,  and  Andrews'  lawyers  gave  him  some 
reason  to  hope  that  there  was  an  informality  in 
the  proceedings  which  would  render  the  whole 
trial  void. 

All  this  time  we  were  most  intensely  anxious 
to  know  how  military  affairs  were  progressing 
in  the  world  without.  I  had  appropriated  from 
an  officer  in  charge  of  us,  a  paper  containing 
the  Confederate  account  of  our  chase,  which  has 
been  given  before,  and  also  an  admission  that 
the  battle  of  Shiloh  was  not  so  much  of  a  victory 
as  they  had  at  first  supposed.  We  managed, 


THE   GREAT   EAILKOAD   ADVENTURE.      141 

likewise,  to  get  one  or  two  other  papers  which 
gave  the  welcome  news  that  our  armies  were 
still  pressing  onward,  and  earnestly  did  we  wish 
and  hope  that  Chattanooga  would  be  reached  in 
time  to  effect  our  deliverance. 

But  the  best  item  of  news  we  received,  was 
from  our  old  jailor,  who,  on  one  occasion,  be- 
came too  drunk  to  remember  the  orders  he  had 
received  against  telling  us  anything,  and  let  out 
the  very  interesting  fact  that  General  Mitchel 
had  advanced  to  Bridgeport,  only  twenty-eight 
miles  below  us,  on  the  Tennessee  river,  and 
there  had  sorely  defeated  the  rebels,  capturing 
some  of  the  very  same  men  who  had  been 
guarding  us  a  few  days  before. 

This  was  very  cheering,  and  we  began  to 
hope  that  we,  too,  would  soon  be  captured. 
The  officer  of  the  guard  was  obviously  uneasy. 
All  the  time  we  were  in  the  dungeon,  we  had 
been  guarded  by  twenty-six  men,  with  a  cap- 
tain over  them.  *  This  was  certainly  enough  to 
keep  twenty -two,  confined  and  chained  as  we 
were,  in  our  place,  but  we  thought  it  would  be 
a  capital  joke  should  they  be  captured  with  us ! 

But  it  was  not  their  intention  to  let  us  fall 
into  Mitchel's  hands.  An  order  was  sent  to  the 
captain  in  charge  to  prepare  us  for  moving.  He 
did  so ;  and  soon  after,  we  were  in  the  cars,  car- 


142  DARING   AND  SUFFERING  ;    OR 


ried  down  the  same  road  we  came  up  so  rapidly 
three  weeks  before. 

How  beautiful  all  nature  appeared  !  It  was 
May,  and  the  time  we  had  spent  without  one 
glance  at  the  expansive  sky  or  green  earth, 
had  not  been  lost  m  the  material  world.  The 
landscape  had  been  robed  in  a  richer  verdure, 
the  budding  trees  had  swelled  into  leafy 
screens,  the  sky  was  of  a  softer  blue,  the  birds 
warbled  with  new  melody,  and  everything 
seemed  to  wear  its  holiday  dress. 

O,  the  joy  !  the  gladness  I  of  being  once  more 
under  the  canopy  of  heaven,  and  of  looking  up 
to  its  unfathomable  depths,  with  no  envious  bars 
to  obstruct  our  view.  Many  a  time  have  I 
passed  the  month  of  May,  amidst  the  most  ro- 
mantic scenery,  but  never  yet  did  I  so  deeply 
feel,  that  this  is  indeed  a  pleasant  world,  full  of 
beauty  and  goodness,  as  on  that  balmy  evening, 
when  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  glowing  from 
the  west,  streamed  over  the  grass  and  wheat- 
fields  on  their  path,  and  poured  in  mellowed, 
yellow  radiance,  through  our  car-window.  But 
even  then  the  glories  of  earth  and  sky  could  not 
make  me  forget  that  I  was  still  chained  to  my 
companion,  and  surrounded  by  guards  with 
gleaming  bayonets. 

The  wild  excitement  caused  by  our  raid  had 


THE   GEE  AT   BAILED  AD   ADVEJSTTUEE. 

not  subsided  in  the  least,  and  as  it  became 
known  that  we  were  passing  along  the  road,  a 
mob  greeted  us  at  every  station.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  again  describe  these  mobs,  for  all 
are  alike,  and  one  description  answers  for  many. 
They  were,  as  usual,  rude,  loquacious,  and 
insulting. 

When  we  arrived  in  Atlanta,  which  was  in 
the  morning,  there  was  no  jail- room  for  us  ;  but 
before  going  further,  we  were  obliged  to  wait 
for  the  evening  train.  When  it  became  known 
in  the  city  that  we  were  there,  a  mob  instantly 
collected,  and  prepared  to  hang  us.  They  were 
prevented  by  our  guard,  probably  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  a  mouse  is  protected  by  a  kitten — 
that  it  may  have  the  pleasure  of  first  playing 
with  it,  and  afterwards  killing  it  itself.  During 
the  progress  of  the  strife  between  those  who 
wanted  to  hang  us  and  those  who  wanted  the 
law  to  take  its  course,  several  persons  were  se- 
verely injured.  But  while  the  disturbance  was 
in  progress,  one  man  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
car  window  unnoticed,  and  handed  us  a  paper, 
using  only  the  single  but  magical  word — "  a 
friend" — and  then  was  lost  in  the  throng.  We 
read  the  paper  by  snatches  as  the  attention  of 
the  guard  was  directed  to  other  objects,  and 
found  it  to  contain  glorious  news — nothing  less 


144  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

than  the  capture  of  New  Orleans  by  our  fleet! 
Need  I  say  that,  for  the  time,  all  thought  of 
private  misfortune  was  lost  in  the  exhilaration 
of  national  triumph? 

The  cause  of  secession  then  looked  gloomy. 
I  took  particular  pains  to  talk  with  the  officer 
in  charge  of  us,  and  other  intelligent  rebels, 
about  their  prospects,  and  found  them  dis- 
couraged. Our  captain  would  not  let  us  have 
any  newspapers,  or  knowingly  give  us  any  in- 
formation ;  yet  he  thought  it  no  harm  to  talk 
with  us  on  the  great  subject  of  the  war,  after 
we  had  learned  the  facts  from  other  sources. 
Frequently,  by  pretending  to  know,  we  could 
get  from  him  a  full  idea  of  things  concerning 
which  we  were  ignorant  before.  Of  this  cha- 
racter was  McClellan's  advance  on  Richmond. 
The  captain  admitted  that  he  was  moving  with 
an  overwhelming  force,  and  that  they  had  then 
but  a  comparatively  small  army  to  resist  him. 
Indeed,  everything  looked  bright  for  the  Union 
cause,  and  the  only  uneasiness  that  disturbed 
us  was  the  apprehension  that  we  might  not  live 
to  witness  that  happy  triumph  which  now 
seemed  so  near. 

In  the  evening  we  glided  on  again,  and  at 
length  arrived  at  Madison.  This  is  a  flourish- 
ing village,  and  looked  well  as  we  entered  it. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      145 

There  were  then  some  six  hundred  of  our  pris- 
oners confined  there,  and  we  indulged  the  hope 
that  we  might  be  put  with  them.  But  we  soon 
learned  that  the  brand  of  criminality  for  our 
daring  adventure  still  rested  on  us ;  for  we  were 
marched  past  the  dilapidated  cotton  factory 
where  our  friends  were  confined,  to  the  old 
county  jail,  which  was  then  entirely  unoccupied. 
It  was  a  gloomy  stone  building,  and  had  two 
rooms,  but  both  had  doors,  and  were  above 
grouifd.  Of  the  upper  story  I  can  not  speak, 
as  our  party  was  divided,  and  I  was  one  that 
was  assigned  to  the  lower  apartment.  The 
room  was  very  dark,  and  its  heavy  stone  walls 
rendered  it  quite  damp.  It  would  have  seemed 
like  a  wretched  place,  had  it  not  been  for  our 
previous  experience  in  Chattanooga.  Besides, 
we  were  now  further  from  the  influence  of 
General  Leadbetter,  and  only  under  the  control 
of  our  captain,  who  showed  us  some  kindness, 
though  we  were  still  in  irons. 

The  citizens  of  the  place  were  freely  admit- 
ted to  see  us,  and  ranged  themselves — always  in 
the  presence  of  the  guard — along  one  side  of 
the  cell,  and  talked  about  all  the  exciting  topics 
of  the  day.  They  pretended  to  admire  us  very 
much,  and  contrasted  our  daring  expedition 
with  what  they  were  pleased  to  call  the  coward^ 
10 


146  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

ice  of  the  Yankees  generally,  and  asked  if  there 
were  any  more  like  us  in  the  army.  Wilson, 
of  Cincinnati,  assured  them  that  we  were  the 
poorest  men  in  Mitchel's  Division,  and  only 
sent  away  because  he  had  no  use  for  us.  This 
rather  astonished  them ;  but  from  the  way  in 
which  Mitchel,  with  his  small  and  divided  force, 
was  controlling  Northern  Alabama,  and  much 
of  Eastern  Tennessee,  as  well  as  defeating  them 
at  all  points,  they  were  rather  inclined  to 
believe  it. 

But  among  these  visitors  was  one  who  came 
not  for  mere  curiosity.  He  was  dressed  in 
rebel  uniform,  but  was  instantly  recognized  by 
Andrews  as  a  spy  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States.  They  had  no  opportunity  for  private 
communication,  but  our  situation  was  revealed 
in  such  a  way  as  not  to  excite  suspicion.  His 
character  was  made  known  to  us  by  Andrews, 
after  his  departure ;  and  while  we  were  won- 
dering at  his  audacity,  and  rather  inclined  to 
disbelieve  the  story,  the  captain  of  the  guard, 
who  had  come  to  bring  supper,  told  us  that  a 
most  remarkable  occurrence  had  taken  place 
that  afternoon. 

He  said  that  the  Provost-Marshal  had  learned, 
from  some  source,  that  a  spy  of  Lincoln's  had 
been  among  our  visitors,  and  had  at  once  sent 


THE    GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      147 

a  guard  to  arrest  him.  The  guard  found  him 
at  the  depot,  just  as  the  cars  were  coming  in. 
The  stranger  was  very  indignant  at  his  arrest, 
and  told  them  scornfully  that  If e  had  papers  in 
his  pocket  that  would  prove  his  character  any- 
where. They  were  somewhat  abashed  at  this, 
and  released  their  hold  on  him,  but  asked  him 
to  produce  the  papers.  He  put  his  hand  in  his 
pocket,  as  though  searching  for  them,  and  fum- 
bled about,  "until  he  noticed  that  the  train, 
which*  was  starting,  had  attained  a  good  rate  of 
speed,  and  then,  just  as  the  last  car  swung  by, 
he  dashed  from  them,  and  jumped  aboard! 
There  was  no  telegraph  station  at  Madison,  and 
he  escaped. 

At  this  the  Confederates  were  very  much  en- 
raged, and  would  permit  no  more  visiting ;  but 
we  felt  ample  consolation  in  the  certainty  that 
our  condition  would  be  at  once  reported  to  our 
officers,  and  every  effort  made  for  our  release. 


148 


CrfAPTEK    IX. 

Return  to  Chattanooga  —  Caution  of  Rebels  —  Unchain  Our- 
selves—Mock Trials—  The  Judge—  Singing—  One  Kind- 
ness —  Projected  Escape  —  Loitering  Comrades  —  A  Gleam 
of  Hope  —  Sad  Parting  —  Knoxville  —  Prison  Inmates  — 
Brownlow  —  Awful  Cruelty  —  Andrews  Condemned  to 
Death  —  Escapes  with  Wollani  —  Fearful*  Perils  —  Swim- 
ming the  River  —  Hiding  on  an  Island  —  Found  by  Chil- 
dren—Yields to  His  Fate—  Horrible  Death—  Wollam's 
Stratagem—  On  the  River  —  Passes  a  Gun  Boat—  Final 
Capture. 


remained  only  three  days  in  Madison, 
when  the  rebel  general,  becoming  convinced 
that  Mitchel  was  not  then  going  to  advance  on 
Chattanooga,  ordered  us  back  to  that  place. 
Again  we  were  compelled  to  run  the  gauntlet 
of  insulting  and  jeering  mobs  that  had  annoyed 
our  course  down  the  road.  We  traveled  in  rude 
box-cars,  that  were  wet  and  filthy,  and  the  jour- 
ney was  rendered  still  more  uncpmfortable  by 
the  idea  of  going  back  to  our  old  quarters  in 
the  wretched  prison  at  Chattanooga. 

However,  by  the  time  we  arrived  there,  our 
captain,  who  had  never  been  a  very  warm  se- 
cessionist, and,  therefore,  had  no  very  hard 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      149 

feelings  towards  us,  had  become  quite  friendly. 
He  now  proved  this  by  interceding  in  our  behalf, 
and  procuring  us  permission  to  remain  in  the 
upper  room.  This  was  the  same  size  as  the 
lower  one,  but  it  had  three  windows  instead  of 
two,  and  the.se  were  larger,  and  obscured  by 
only  one  row  of  bars.  But  the  poor  Tennessee 
Union  men  had  to  go  below. 

It  was  amusing  to  see  the  exaggerated  caution 
with  which  they  guarded  us.  Even  when  we 
were  below,  where  scarcely  any  man  could  have 
got  out  without  assistance,  they  never  raised  the 
trap  door  unprotected  by  a  strong  guard.  Now, 
when  we  were  in  the  upper  room,  their  vigi- 
lance was  still  further  increased.  They  would 
bring  a  guard  into  the  jailor's  room,  through 
which  ours  was  entered,  and  there  array  them 
with  leveled  bayonets,  into  two  lines  across  the 
door.  At  the  same  time,  the  stairway  was 
guarded,  and  another  guard  always  surrounded 
the  jail  outside  of  the  wall.  And  even  the  old 
jailor  would  fret,  and  predict  that  evil  would 
result  from  showing  the  Yankees  so  much  in- 
dulgence. 

All  this  time  we  were  chained,  and  as  the 
authorities  were  thus  slow  in  relieving  us  of 
what  we  believed  to  be  an  unnecessary  incum- 
brance,  we  set  our  wits  to  work  to  free  pur- 


150  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OB 

selves.  One  of  the  party  had  managed  to  secrete 
a  small  knife  while  they  were  searching  him,  and 
with  this  made  rude  keys  from  the  bones  of  the 
meat  given  us,  and  in  a  short  time  opened  every 
lock.  We  could  not,  of  course,  appear  in  pub- 
in  our  new  liberty,  or  more  effectual  means 
of  fastening  would  probably  have  been  devised. 
To  avoid  detection,  we  kept  some  one  always  on 
the  watch.  Then,  when  any  person  was  heard 
approaching  our  room,  a  signal  was  given,  and 
a  quick  rattling  of  chains  accompanied  the  ad- 
justment and  re-locking  of  our  bands.  When 
the  door  opened,  we  would  be  chained  all  right, 
and  as  soon  as  it  closed  we  would  be  free  again. 
We  continued  this  deception  during  our  stay  in 
this  prison,  and  were  never  detected. 

While  here,  we  relieved  the  tedious  time  that 
hung  heavily  on  our  hands  by  mock  trials. 
We  would  charge  one  of  the  company  with 
some  offence,  generally  a  trifling  breach  of  our 
prison  rules,  and  proceed  to  trial.  Campbell, 
whose  immense  personal  strength  better  enabled 
him  to  inflict  the  punishment  that  would  be 
awarded,  usually  officiated  as  judge,  until  at 
last  he  got  the  name  of  Judge  firmly  fixed  on 
him.  These  trials  produced  much  sport.  We 
had  ample  time  for  it,  and  the  opposing  coun- 
sel would  make  very  long  and  learned  speeches. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      151 

So  interesting  were  these  arguments,  and  so 
eloquent  our  appeals,  that  no  one  of  the  audi- 
tors was  ever  known  to  leave  the  house  while 
they  were  in  progress  1  The  witnesses,  too, 
were  very  slippery,  and  it  was  sometimes  quite 
difficult  to  reconcile  their  testimony.  There 
were  always  some  nullifiers  present  who  would 
attempt  to  resist  the  enforcement  of  the  laws, 
and  the  infliction  of  the  penalties  adjudged  ;  but 
in  these  cases  the  personal  weight  of  the  judge 
decided  the  matter.  This  resistance  would  give 
rise  to  new  arrests  and  trials,  and  thus  the  work 
became  interminable. 

Another  and  more  refined  enjoyment  was 
singing.  There  were  several  good  singers  in 
the  party,  and,  by  practicing  together,  they 
soon  acquired  great  proficiency.  Most  of  the 
songs  were  of  a  tender  and  melancholy  cast ; 
such  as  the  "•  Carrier  Dove,"  "  Do  They  Miss 
Me  at  Home,"  " Nettie  More,"  "Twenty  Years 
Ago,"  &c.  Our  time  for  singing  was  when 
twilight  began  to  fall.  Then  in  the  gathering 
darkness  the  voice  of  song  would  ring  out,  as 
glad  and  free  as  if  it  was  not  strained  through 
prison  bars.  The  guards  liked  very  much  to 
hear  us  sing,  and  frequently  citizens  of  the  town 
would  gather  round  outside  to  listen  to  the 
caged  Yankees. 


152  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING ;    OR 

There  is  one  man  in  the  Confederacy  whom 
I  must  praise.  Amid  the  worthless  and  boastful 
aristocrats  who  have  monopolized  for  them- 
selves the  name  of  "  chivalry,"  I  found  one  gen- 
tleman. This  was  Colonel  Claiborne,  at  that 
time  Provost-Marshal  of  Chattanooga.  When 
he  first  visited  us,  he  said  boldly  that  it  was 
a  shame  to  keep  men  in  such  a  condition,  and 
tried  in  vain  to  get  permission  from  General 
Lead  better,  to  remove  our  irons ;  he  then 
ordered  us  to  be  brought  into  the  yard  to 
breathe  the  fresh  air  every  afternoon.  This 
was -an  inexpressible  relief,  for  it  was  now  in- 
tensely hot  in  oair  room ;  and  simply  to  be  in 
the  open  air  a  short  time  was  a  luxury  above 
all  price.  This  he  did  on  his  own  responsibil- 
ity, and  some  weeks  afterward  was  dismissed 
from  his  post  on  account  of  his  humanity  to  us! 

While  here,  the  idea  of  escape  frequently  pre- 
sented itself.  It  is  true  that  our  guards  out- 
numbered us,  and  always  used  the  cautions  I 
have  described  above;  but  the  very  fear  this 
argued  would  have  been  our  best  help.  We 
often  discussed  the  subject  among  ourselves. 

All  were  anxious  to  go  but  Koss  and  Wilson, 
who  thought  the  proposition  premature,  as  they, 
relying  on  what  the  officers  in  charge  of  us 
said,  believed  that  there  was  some  hope  of  our 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      153 

exchange.  But  others  of  us  were  impatient  to 
make  one  bold  effort  for  our  own  deliverance. 
Two  plans  were  proposed.  The  first,  which  I 
suggested,  was  to  have  all  our  irons  off  when 
the  guards  came  up  to  feed  us,  and  then,  as  the 
door  opened,  to  make  a  simultaneous  rush  on 
the  leveled  bayonets  outside,  wrest  the  arms 
from  their  ownera  and  pour  down  stairs  on  the 
guard  below.  As  soon  as  we  had  secured  the 
arms  of  the  remainder,  we  could  leave  the  pri- 
son-yard in  a  solid  body,  and  pass  on  double- 
quick  to  the  ferry-boat,  which  lay  on  our  side 
of  the  river,  not  far  distant.  Once  over  the 
river,  and  thus  armed,  we  would  have  been  com- 
paratively safe. 

The  other  plan,  which  we  finally  agreed  to 
adopt,  was  proposed  by  Andrews.  It  was,  that 
some  one  should  secrete  himself  under  the 
bed  in  the  jailor's  room,  when  we  were  coming 
up  from  our  breathing  in  the  yard,  and  remain 
there  till  all  was  quiet  at  night ;  then  come  out 
and  noiselessly  unlock  the  door ;  after  this,  we 
could  rush  down,  seize  the  guard,  and  proceed, 
as  in  the  first  plan. 

There  were  two  of  our  party  who  failed  to 
reach  the  place  of  rendezvous  in  time  to  be 
with  us  on  the  train.  One  was  from  the  Twenty- 
first,  the  other  from  the  Second  Ohio  Regiment. 


154  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

They  were  suspected,  and  to  save  themselves, 
were  compelled  to  join  a  rebel  battery,  which 
they  did,  representing  themselves  as  brothers 
from  Kentucky.  In  the  battle  at  Bridgeport,  in 
which  the  secessionists  were  so  badly  panic- 
stricken,  the  one  from  the  Twenty-first  found 
an  opportunity  to  escape  to  General  Mitchel. 
This  caused  suspicion  to  rest  on  his  supposed 
brother,  who  was  arrested,  brought  to  Chatta- 
nooga, and  confined  in  the  dungeon  while  we 
were  there.  We  recognized  him,  and  talked, 
though  very  cautiously,  about  his  adventures. 
He  asked  us  not  to  divulge  the  fact  that  he  was 
one  of  us — an  unnecessary  request.  He  re- 
mained there  for  some  time,  and  was  finally 
released,  and  put  into  the  battery  again,  from 
which,  by  a  wonderful  series  of  adventures,  he 
succeeded  in  making  good  his  escape  to  our 
lines. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  great  talk  of  ex- 
change. A  son  of  General  Mitchel's  had  been 
captured ;  but  he  also  held  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  prisoners,  and  it  was  believed  that  an 
exchange  would  be  effected.  A  lieutenant,  whom 
Mitchel  had  released  on  parole,  for  the  purpose 
of  seeing  Kirby  Smith,  at  that  time  commanding 
the  department  of  East  Tennessee,  and  obtaining 
his  consent  to  an  exchange,  visited  us.  His 


THE    GREAT  RAILED  AD   ADVENTURE.      155 

story  raised  the  most  sanguine  hopes.  The 
Confederate  officers,  however,  said  that  it  would 
be  first  necessary  to  "have  a  trial,  and  prove 
that  we  were  really  United  States  soldiers,  and 
then  we,  too,  would  be  embraced  in  the  ex- 
change. Andrews,  some  time  before,  wanted  to 
send  a  flag  of  truce  through  the  lines  to  get 
from  our  officers  a  statement  of  our  true  cha- 
racter ;  but  they  refused  permission,  saying  that 
they  could  believe  our  own  story  on  the  subject 
without  going  to  so  much  trouble. 

The  prospect  of  an  exchange  served  to  defer 
our  attempted  escape,  but  at  last  we  resolved  to 
wait  no  longer.  The  very  day  we  came  to  this 
conclusion,  an  order  was  given  to  send  twelve 
to  Knoxville  for  trial — a  mere  formal  one  as 
the  commander  of  the  guard  and  the  marshal 
told  us — to  clearly  prove  that  we  were  an  au- 
thorized military  expedition,  and  not  mere  citi- 
zen adventurers.  George  D.  Wilson  was  in  the 
yard  when  the  order  came.  He  was  permitted 
to  be  down  there,  because  he  was  very  sick. 
The  officer  of  the  guard  handed  him  the  order, 
asking  him  to  select  twelve  to  go,  as  no  names 
were  mentioned.  He  did  so,  selecting  all  his 
own  regiment  (Second  Ohio)  first,  and  after- 
ward his  special  friends  from  the  other  regi- 
ments, because  he  thought  it  would  be  a  favor 


156  BAKING-  AND   SUFFERING ;   OR 

to  them — that  they  would  probably  be  first  ex- 
changed. This  unexpected  order  induced  us 
to  abandon  our  cherished  scheme  of  escape, 
which,  in  all  probability,  judging  from  the  re- 
sult of  a  subsequent  attempt,  under  far  more 
unfavorable  circumstances,  would  have  been 
completely  successful. 

As  we  twelve,  who  were  to  go  to  Knoxville, 
prepared  for  our  departure,  we  felt  a  shade  of 
gloom  fall  over  our  spirits.  Our  little  band, 
who  had  for  nearly  two  months  been  compan- 
ions in  dangers  and  privations,  such  as  few  men 
ever  experienced,  was  now  to  be  divided,  and 
we  knew  not  where  we  should  unite  again ;  for 
in  spite  of  their  fair  words,  the  fad  remained 
that  we  were  in  the  power  of  that  enemy  who 
has  deluged  our  land  in  blood. 

With  Andrews,  the  parting  was  peculiarly 
affecting ;  we  had  been  accustomed  to  look  up 
to  him  in  all  emergencies.  He  was  our  leader, 
and  was  the  particular  mark  for  the  vengeance 
of  the  foe.  Officers,  in  bidding  us  hope,  spoke 
no  words  of  comfort  to  him.  He  bore  this  like 
a  hero,  as  he  was,  and  continued  to  hope  against 
hope.  But  now,  after  we  had  sung  our  songs 
together  for  the  last  time,  and  come  to  bid  him 
farewell,  we  were  moved  even  to  tears.  I  will 
never  forget  his  last  words,  as  he  silently 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      157 

pressed  our  hands,  and  with  a  tear  in  his  blue 
eye,  and  a  low,  sweet  voice,  that  thrilled  through 
my  inmost  being,  said :  "  Boys,  if  I  never  see 
you  here  again,  try  to  meet  me  on  the  other 
side  of  Jordan."  It  was  our  last  earthly 
meeting. 

Colonel  Claiborne  accompanied  us  to  the  cars, 
where  we  found  we  were  to  be  escorted  by  a 
detachment  of  Morgan's  celebrated  guerillas. 
Claiborne  gave  orders  for  our  humane  treat- 
ment, saying :  "  They  are  men,  like  other  men, 
and  gentlemen  too,  and  I  want  them  treated  as 
such."  When  he  left,  I  felt  we  had  parted  from 
a  friend,  rebel  as  he  was. 

Claiborne's  parting  charge  procured  us  cour- 
tesy from  our  guard.  Indeed,  they  were  a 
much  better  class  of  men  than  the  great  mass 
of  the  Southern  army.  Several  of  them  told  us 
that  they  had  enlisted  with  Morgan  only  to 
make  money,  and  were  getting  it  fast.  All 
were  well  dressed  in  citizens'  clothes,  and  had 
the  language  and  manners  of  gentlemen.  They 
had  another  motive  in  treating  us  kindly.  A 
large  number  of  their  own  band  were  now  in 
the  hands  of  the  government,  and  were  equally 
liable  with  ourselves,  under  every  rule  of  right, 
to  be  treated  as  criminals ;  for  they  had  not  only 
dressed  in  citizens'  clothes,  but  had  even  as- 


158  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OE 

sumed  our  uniform  wherever  it  was  their  in- 
terest to  do  so.  They  were  indignant  to  see  us 
in  irons,  and  said  they  would  not  be  afraid  to 
guard  us  with  our  limbs  free,  but  did  not,  of 
course,  dare  to  remove  our  fastenings. 

We  had  been  started  as  usual,  without  any 
rations,  on  the  calculation  that  we  should  fast 
till  we  reached  our  destination,  which  would  be 
in  about  twenty -four  hours.  But  our  guerilla 
friends  would  not  permit  this.  They  bought 
pies,  and  literally  feasted  us,  saying  that  their 
money  was  plenty,  and  when  it  was  gone  they 
could  easily  get  more  from  our  men.  We 
hoped  that  we  might  have  Morgan's  men  for 
our  escort  in  all  future  migrations. 

We  arrived  in  Knoxville  shortly  after  noon, 
and  marched  through  the  hot,  dusty  streets, 
directly  to  the  old  jail.  This  is  now  a  historical 
edifice.  It  will  forever  remain  associated  with 
the  extreme  sufferings  of  the  loyal  East  Tennes- 
seeans,  during  the  progress  of  the  great  rebel- 
lion. 

The  building  itself  is  a  noble  one,  and  resem- 
bles some  old  baronial  hall.  It  is  of  a  peculiar 
style  of  architecture — solid,  square  and  massive, 
with  lofty  projecting  towers  and  sharp  angles — 
altogether  presenting  an  imposing  appearance. 
It  was  used  as  a  military  prison,  and  was  filled 


THE   GHEAT  KAILKOAD  ADVENTUKE.      159 

from  top  to  bottom  with  ragged,  dirty-looking 
prisoners.  Some  were  Union  men,  and  others 
were  deserters  from  their  own  rebel  ranks. 
These  constituted  the  lower  class  of  prisoners, 
and  were  permitted  to  range  over  most  of  the 
building,  which  was  completely  encircled  out- 
side by  a  strong  guard. 

The  higher  class,  or  those  who  were  charged 
with  more  desperate  offences,  were  shut  up  in 
cages.  There  were  five  of  these.  Two  of  them 
were  at  once  cleared  for  our  reception.  The 
smaller  one  was  about  seven  feet  by  nine,  and 
four  of  us  were  put  into  it.  The  larger,  in 
which  the  remainder  of  the  party  were  placed, 
was  perhaps  ten  by  twelve.  Th$  latter  was  the 
cage  in  which  Parson  Brownlow  had  been  con- 
fined, and  we  felt  honored  by  being  in  the  same 
cell  that  this  noble  champion  of  the  Union  had 
once  occupied. 

While  in  this  cage,  we  read  an  article  in  a 
copy  of  the  Knoxville  Register,  stating  that 
Brownlow  was  in  the  North,  humbugging  the 
Yankees  by  telling  them  that  he  had  been  kept 
in  an  iron  cage,  and  fired  at  by  his  guards, 
when  everybody  in  that  vicinity  knew  that 
the  whole  thing  was  a  falsity.  Even  while 
we  read  this,  we  looked  at  the  shot-marks  which 
were  still  visible  on  the  cage,  and  which  the 


160  DARING   AND   SUFFERING-;    OR 

guards  and  prisoners  assured  us  had  been  made 
in  the  way  Brownlow  stated.  This  may  serve 
as  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  Southern 
papers  are  accustomed  to  deal  with  facts. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  May  when  we 
arrived  in  Knoxville,  and  outside,  the  weather 
was  intensely  warm,  but  inside,  from  the  enor- 
mous masses  of  stone  and  iron  around,  it  was 
quite  cool.  Indeed  the  nights,  which  are  al- 
ways cool,  even  in  midsummer,  in  the  warmest 
parts  of  the  South,  were  here  very  cold,  and  as 
we  had  no  beds  or  blankets,  but  had  to  lie  on 
the  partly  iron  floor,  we  suffered  greatly. 

Here  we  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  few 
Tennesseeans,  who  continued  with  us  during  the 
remainder  of  our  sojourn  in  Dixie.  One  of  the 
most  remarkable  of  their  number  was  named 
Pierce.  He  was  some  sixty  years  old,  and  had 
received  a  stroke  with  a  gun-barrel,  right  down 
his  forehead,  which,  even  after  healing,  had 
left  a  gash  more  than  an  inch  deep.  From  this 
he  was  denominated,  "  Gun-barrel,"  "  Forked 
head,"  &c.  He  was  at  the  same  time  very  reli- 
gious and  very  profane.  His  voice  would  first 
be  heard  singing  hymns,  and  next  cursing  the 
Confederacy  in  no  measured  terms.  He  was, 
however,  a  very  clever  man,  and  almost  adored 
the  name  of  a  Union  soldier. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      161 

Here  it  was  that  we  first  became  acquainted 
with  Captain  Fry.  He  was  confined  in  a  cage 
in  another  room.  We  could  not  get  to  see  him, 
but  could  entrust  little  notes,  written  on  the 
margin  of  newspapers,  to  the  more  faithful  of 
the  outside  prisoners,  and  were  always  sure  of  a 
reply. 

There  was  one  man  in  the  same  room  with 
me,  but  in  another  cage,  in  whom  I  became 
especially  interested.  He  was  between  seventy 
and  eighty  years  old,  and  was  awaiting  sentence 
of  death.  Before  his  arrest  he  had  been  a 
Union  man;  and,  of  course,  a  marked  object  of 
suspicion  to  his  secession  neighbors.  A  band 
of  these  came  one  night  for  the  purpose  of  rob- 
bing him.  He  endeavored  to  prevent  them, 
when  they  attacked  him,  drawing  revolvers 
and  bowie-knives.  They  fired  several  shots, 
and  pursued  him.  He  dodged  around  old  bar- 
rels and  other  pieces  of  furniture  in  the  out- 
house where  the  assault  was  made,  for  some 
time,  until  finally  he  managed  to  seize  a  pitch- 
fork and  plunge  it  into  the  foremost  of  his  foes ; 
then  breaking  away,  he  escaped  for  the  time. 
The  robber  whom  he  wounded  afterwards  died, 
and  the  Confederate  government  arrested  the 
old  man,  and  confined  him  in  the  cage  on  a 
charge  of  murder !  I  never  heard  the  result  of 
11 


162  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

it,  but  have  no  doubt  that  he  has  long  since 
been  hung. 

We  obtained  quite  a  number  of  papers  while 
here,  and  were  much  pleased  to  learn  of  the  con- 
tinued progress  of  our  arms,  particularly  in  the 
"West.  The  taking  of  Fort  Pillow,  the  evacua- 
tion of  Memphis  and  Corinth,  with  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  rebel  flotilla  on  the  Mississippi,  all 
came  out  in  one  paper;  and  the  editor  com- 
plained that  he  had  been  restrained  from  pub- 
lishing this  by  the  government  for  more  than 
two  weeks  after  the  intelligence  arrived. 

One  day  we  received  news  that  sent  the 
blood  coursing  through  our  veins  in  swifter 
flow.  It  was  that  Andrews  and  one  other  of 
our  party  had  escaped  from  Chattanooga! 

Here,  to  preserve  the  unity  of  the  story,  I 
will  give  a  history  of  the  events  that  took  place 
at  Chattanooga  subsequent  to  our  departure. 

No  unusual  event  occurred  until  a  week  after 
we  had  left.  Then,  one  day,  an  officer  entered 
the  yard,  where  our  boys  were  enjoying  the 
shade  of  the  prison,  in  the  cool  of  the  after- 
noon, and  carelessly  handed  to  Andrews  his 
death-warrant!  It  was  a  terrible  shock,  but 
was  borne  bravely.  He  communicated  the 
startling  intelligence  to  our  comrades  as  soon 
as  they  again  assembled  in  their  room.  At 


THE   GREAT  BAILROAD   ADVENTURE.*    163 

once  they  resolved  to  carry  into  immediate 
execution  the  long-projected  plan  of  escape, 
on  which  now  depended  their  leader's  only 
chance  of  life. 

He  was  separated  from  them,  and  put  down 
into  the  dungeon.  But  this  did  not  interfere 
with  their  plans,  for  with  the  same  knife  which 
was  so  serviceable  in  making  keys,  a  hole  was 
cut  above  the  bolts  of  the  trap-door,  allowing 
it  to  be  raised.  This  done,  which  was  late  at 
night,  they  drew  Andrews  up  by  blankets,  and 
then  went  to  work  cutting  another  hole  through 
the  ceiling.  While  they  were  performing  the 
most  noisy  part  of  this  operation,  they  dead- 
ened the  sound  by  singing.  The  jailor  after- 
ward remarked  that  he  might  have  known 
there  was  something  the  matter  by  their  sing- 
ing so  mournfully.  ^ 

When  all  their  preparations  were  completed, 
the  gray  tint  of  dawn  was  just  beginning  to  rise 
in  the  east.  There  was  no  time  to  lose.  An- 
drews quickly  mounted  aloft.  A  rope  was 
formed  of  some  twisted  blankets,  and  the  next 
moment  he  was  swinging  outside  of  the  wall. 
But  in  passing  through  the  hole  he  loosened 
some  bricks  which  fell  to  the  ground,  and  thus 
gave  the  alarm.  The  accident  caused  -him  to 


164  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

drop  his  boots,  which  he  afterward  sorely 
needed. 

The  guard  was  instantly  aroused,  but  An- 
drews dropped  to  the  ground,  darted  to  the 
fence,  and  was  over  before  he  could  be  pre- 
vented. John  Wollam  followed,  and  even 
while  suspended  in  the  air  by  the  blankets,  was 
fired  upon.  Fortunately,  the  hands  of  the 
guards  were  too  unsteady  to  inflict  any  injury, 
and 'he,  too,  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  yard 
in  safety. 

Now  the  excitement  became  intense.  All 
Chattanooga  was  roused,  and  the  whole  force 
started  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  fugitives^  The 
officers  hurried  to  the  prison  and  roundly  bera- 
ted our  boys  because  they  did  not  give  the 
alarm  when  their  comrades  were  escaping  [  Col- 
onel Clai borne,  the  Marshal,  who  had  shown  us 
some  humanity,  was  summarily  dismissed  from 
his  office  for  that  cause  alone !  And  the  press 
came  out  in  the  most  violent  language,  denounc- 
ing the  officers  in  charge,  and  particularly 
General  Leadbetter,  for  their,  false  philanthropy 
in  not  having  us  chained  to  the  floor  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  make  escape  impossible. 

Our  flying  comrades  had  separated  as  soon 
as  they  left  the  prison.  It  was  now  daylight, 
and  they  could  not  continue  their  flight  without 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      165 

the  most  imminent  danger  of  discovery.  An- 
drews went  only  a  few  hundred  yards  from 
town,  and  there  secreted  himself  in  a  tree,  in 
plain  view  of  the  railroad.  He  remained  all 
day  in  this  uncomfortable  position,  and  saw  the 
trains  running  under  his  feet,  and  heard  his 
pursuers  speculating  as  to  what  course  he  could 
have  taken.  The  search  was  most  thorough; 
but,  fortunately,  his  umbrageous  shelter  was 
secure. 

At  night  he  came  down  and  swam  the  river, 
but  lost  most  of  his  clothing  in  the  passage ;  he 
then  journeyed  on  nearly  naked.  In  the  morn- 
ing, just  at  the  break  of  day,  he  crossed  a  small 
open  field  on  his  way  to  a  tree,  in  which  he  in- 
tended to  take  shelter,  as  he  had  done  the  day 
before ;  but,  unfortunately,  he  was  observed. 
Immediately  pursuit  was  made,  but  he  dashed 
through  the  woods,  and  regained  the  river, 
much  lower  down  than  he  had  crossed  the 
evening  before.  Here  he  swam  a  narrow  chan- 
nel, and  reached  a  small  island,  where,  for  a 
time,  he  secreted  himself  among  some  drift- 
wood at  the  upper  end  of  the  island. 

A  party  with  bloodhounds  now  came  over 
from  the  mainland  in  search  of  him.  He  was 
soon  observed,  but  broke  away  from  them,  and 
ran  around  the  lower  end  of  the  island,  wading 


166  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

in  the  shallow  water,  and  in  this  way  threw  the 
hounds  off  his  track ;  then  he  plunged  into  a 
dense  thicket,  with  which  the  island  was  cov- 
ered, and  again  ascended  a  tree.  There,  for  a 
long  time,  he  remained  securely  concealed,  while 
his  pursuers  searched  the  whole  island,  being 
frequently  under  the  very  tree  whose  high 
foliage  effectually  screened  him  from  the  sight 
of  dogs  and  men.  At  last  they  abandoned  the 
search  in  despair,  concluding  that  he  had,  by 
some  means,  left  the  island,  and  slowly  took 
their  departure  to  the  shore  to  concert  new 
plans  of  search.  Two  little  boys,  who  came 
along  merely  for  curiosity,  were  all  that  still  lin- 
gered behind. 

At  length,  in  their  childish  prattle,  one  of 
them  said  he  saw  a  great  bunch  on  a  tree.  The 
other  looked — shifted  his  position — looked 
again,  and  exclaimed  that  it  was  a  man  !  This 
alarmed  them  both,  and  they  called  aloud,  an- 
nouncing the  discovery  to  their  friends  on 
shore.  The  latter  instantly  returned,  and  An- 
drews, seeing  himself  observed,  dropped  from 
the  tree,  ran  to  the  lower  end  of  the  island, 
took  a  small  log,  with  a  limb  for  a  paddle,  and 
shoved  into  the  stream,  hoping  to  reach  the  op- 
posite shore  before  he  could  bepvertaken.  But 
there  was  another  party  with  a  skiff,  lower 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      167 

down  the  river,  who  saw  him,  and  rowed  out  to 
meet  him.  Thus  enclosed,  there  was  no  hope, 
and  he  surrendered. 

He  was  in  a  most  wretched  condition,  having 
eaten  nothing  since  he  left  the  jail.  His  feet 
were  all  cut  and  bleeding  from  running  over 
the  sharp  stones,  and  his  back  and  shoulders 
were  parched  and  blistered  from  exposure,  un- 
protected, to  the  rays  of  the  sun.  He  said  he 
felt  so  miserable  that  the  thought  of  the  certain 
death,  to  which  he  then  resigned  himself,  had 
no  further  terror  for  him. 

He  was  brought  back  to  Chattanooga,  where 
a  blacksmith  welded  a  pair  of  heavy  clevises  on 
his  ankles,  and  connected  them  with  a  chain 
only  about  eighteen  inches  in  length.  He  had 
then  but  few  more  days  to  live,  and  his  confine- 
ment was  most  rigid.  They  prepared  a  scaf- 
fold for  him  at  Chattanooga,  but  the  indications 
of  an  advance  by  Mitchel,  induced  them  to 
change  the  death  scene  to  Atlanta.  All  the 
way  down  to  that  place  he  was  taunted  with  his 
approaching  doom  by  the  mobs  who  surrounded 
every  station.  Our  eight  comrades  accompa- 
nied him  to  Atlanta,  but  parted  as  soon  as  they 
arrived — they  going  to  prison,  and  he  to  the 
place  of  execution.  He  was  compelled  to  walk, 
all  ironed  as  he  was,  and  the  clanking  of  his 


168  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

chains  no  doubt  made  sweet  music  in  the  ears 
of  these  human  bloodhounds. 

He  displayed  great  firmness  when  led  to  the 
place  of  execution,  and  mounted  the  scaffold 
without  a  tremor.  When  swung  off",  the  rope 
by  which  he  was  suspended,  stretched  so  that 
his  feet  came  to  the  ground,  but,  nothing  discon- 
certed, these  wretches  dug  the  earth  away  from 
under  him  and  completed  the  murder !  Thus 
died  a  good  and  brave  man,  at  the  early  age  of 
thirty-three,  by  the  hands  of  rebels,  for  the  crime 
of  loving  and  trying  to  serve  his  country  !  He 
was  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  young  lady  of 
his  own  adopted  State  the  same  month  in  which 
he  suffered  death  on  the  scaffold  ! 

It  is  now  time  to  return  to  Wollam,  whom 
we  left  outside  of  the  jail-fence,  trying  to  get  away 
from  Chattanooga. 

He  ran  down  to  the  river  side,  and  seeing  no 
way  of  crossing  himself,  hit  on  the  brilliant 
ruse  of  making  them  believe  that  he  was  across. 
To  this  end  he  threw  off  his  coat  and  vest, 
dropping  them  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and 
then,  after  walking  a  few  rods  in  the  water  to 
elude  the  hounds,  quietly  slipped  back,  and  hid 
in  a  dense  thicket  of  canes  and  rushes.  He 
heard  his  pursuers  on  the  bank  above  him,  a^id 
all  around,  talking  of  their  various  plans.  At 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      169 

last  they  found  the  clothes,  and  at  once  conclu- 
ded that  he  had  taken  to  the  river.  Then  they 
took  the  bloodhounds  over  to  the  other  side, 
and  searched  for  the  place  of  his  exit  from  the 
water.  The  dogs  could  not  find  that,  as  might 
be  expected,  and  then,  after  a  due  time  spent 
in  consultation,  they  concluded  that  he  was 
drowned,  and  departing  much  comforted,  search- 
ed no  more  for  him. 

After  spending  a  day  of  most  anxious  sus- 
pense, the  approach  of  night  gave  him  an 
opportunity  of  leaving  his  hiding-place.  He 
now  cautiously  made  his  way  down  the  river  on 
the  Chattanooga  side.  At  length  he  found  a 
canoe,  in  which  he  rowed  at  night,  and  when 
morning  came,  he  would  sink  it,  and  hide  in  the 
bushes ;  then  in  the  evening  raise  it,  and  again 
pursue  his  way.  Twice  he  passed  the  extem- 
pore gun-boat  Mitchel  had  made,  but  feared  it 
was  some  secession  craft,  and  therefore  crept 
cautiously  by  in  the  shadow  of  the  shore,  with- 
out being  discovered.  At  last  he  thought  he 
was  beyond  the  danger  of  probable  capture,  and 
went  boldly  forward  in  the  day  time. 

This  was  a  fatal  mistake.  A  band  of  cavalry, 
who  were  camped  almost  within  our  lines,  saw 
him,  and  procuring  a  boat,  came  out  to  meet 
him.  He  was  unable  to  escape,  and  thus  the 


170  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

poor  fellow  was  captured  on  the  very  brink  of 
safety.  He  at  first  tried  to  persuade  them  that 
he  was  a  Confederate,  but,  unfortunately,  a 
Lieutenant  Edwards,  who  had  assisted  in  cap- 
turing him  the  first  time,  happened  to  be  present, 
and  at  once  recognized  him.  He  was  soon  after 
taken  to  Atlanta,  where  the  rest  of  the  party 
then  were. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         171 


CHAPTER    X. 

Sorrow  for  Andrews— Prepare  for  Trial— Charges  and 
Specifications — Plan  of  Defence — Incidents  of  Trial — 
Encouragement — Not  Allowed  to  Hear  Pleading — Law- 
yers' Plea — Seven  Tried — Mitchel  Dissolves  the  Court 
— Tied  Again — A  Saucy  Reply — Advantage  of  Sick- 
ness— Fry  Deceived — Revolting  Inhumanity — Fry's  Cap- 
ture—Starve to  Atlanta— Taunts  of  the  Mob— Atlanta 
Prison — A  Kind  Jailor. 

WE,  who  were  at  Knoxville,  read  of  the  re- 
capture of  Andrews  with  the  most  poignant 
regret,  though  we  knew  not  yet  that  he  had 
received  the  sentence  of  death.  Of  Wollam  we 
heard  nothing. 

We  were  well  supplied  with  papers  here,  as 
there  were  plenty  of  Union  people  who  minis- 
tered to  our  wants.  One  day  we  received  a 
paper  containing  an  account  of  the  execution  of 
Andrews.  It  was  awful  news  to  us.  We  had 
been  engaged,  just  before,  in  all  kinds  of  games 
and  story-telling,  for  we  were  always  merry,  and 
never  suffered  ourselves  to  indulge  in  gloomy 
forebodings.  But  when  this  news  came,  all 
noise  and  merriment  were  hushed,  and  we  passed 
a  whole  day  in  the  most  heartfelt  mourning. 


172  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

We  all  loved  out  leader,  and  would  willingly 
have  engaged  in  the  most  desperate  enterprise 
to  save  his  life  ;  but,  alas !  he  was  gone,  and  there 
was  no  chance  even  for  that  vengeance  for 
which  our  souls  thirsted. 

Before  we  had  been  long  at  Knoxville,  we 
were  notified  to  prepare  for  trial.  We  requested 
that  we  should  all  be  tried  at  once,  as  our  cases 
were  precisely  alike.  When  this  was  not 
granted,  we  next  asked  that  one  might  be  tried, 
and  his  sentence  be  the  sentence  of  the  whole 
party.  But  this  too,  was  refused,  with  the 
reply  that  they  knew  their  own  business  best. 
We  were  forced  to  accept  this  decision,  though 
we  could  not  imagine  why  it  was  that  they 
should  thus  insist  on  trying  but  one  at  a  time. 
The  only  reason  that  I  can  yet  conjecture  for 
this  proceeding  is,  that  it  would  have  looked 
too  absurd  to  arraign  twenty-one,  or  even 
twelve  men,  all  in  a  body,  and  from  one  bri- 
gade, as  spies. 

They  allowed  us  the  privilege  of  counsel, 
and  we  employed  two  good  Union  men,  Colo- 
nels Baxter  and  Temple,  who  volunteered  their 
services.  We  were  each  to  pay  them  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars,  and  as  fast  as  we  were 
tried,  to  give  our  notes  for  that  amount. 

The  charges  and   specifications  of  William 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      173 

Campbell  were  first  handed  in.  He  was  a 
citizen,  but  claimed  to  be  a  soldier,  and  we 
endorsed  his  position.  The  charge  against  all 
who  were  brought  to  trial  was  for  "  lurking  in 
and  around  Confederate  camps  as  spies,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  information."  Not  a 
word  was  said  of  taking  the  cars,  or  of  any* 
thing  we  really  did  do. 

Our  plan  of  defence  has  been  partly  indi- 
cated before.  It  was  to  tell  just  who  we  were, 
and  what  we  had  done,  with  the  exceptions  of 
the  pranks  we  had  played  on  the  rebel  -citizens 
coming  down,  and  to  claim  that  we  were  United 
States  soldiers,  detailed  on  a  military  expedi- 
tion without  our  consent,  and  therefore  entitled 
to  the  protection  accorded  to  regular  prisoners 
of  war.  This  was  put  into  words,  and  read  on 
the  trial  as  the  acknowledgement  of  the  party 
while  pleading  "not  guilty"  to  the  charge. 
The  only  evidence  they  had  was  of  the  men 
who  pursued  us  on  the  train,  and  also  of  those 
who  afterward  arrested  us ;  but  of  course  'none 
of  these  knew  anything  of  our  lurking  around 
the  camps. 

George  D.  Wilson  related  a  ludicrous  incident 
that  occurred  when  he  was  on  trial,  and  which 
fitly  illustrates  the  desire  they  had  to  convict 
us.  It  was  of  a  young  lieutenant  belonging  to 


174 

the  court-martial,  *who  requested  to  be  sworn, 
saying  that  he  could  tell  of  at  least  one  place 
we  had  passed  the  Confederate  guards.  On  his 
request  being  complied  with,  he  testified  that 
we  crossed  their  picket-line  at  the  ferry,  on  the 
evening  of  our  first  arrival  at  Chattanooga. 
Immediately  the  president  of  the  court  arose, 
and  said  that  he  commanded  the  guard  that 
day,  and  no  guard  was  placed  at  the  ferry.  The 
whole  court  was  instantly  in  a  roar  of  laughter, 
and  the  confusion  of  our  would-be  convictor 
may  be  better  imagined  than  described. 

Our  lawyers  were  delighted  with  the  course 
we  took,  and  said  that  it  had  deranged  all  the 
plans  of  the  prosecution,  and  that  they  had  not 
a  particle  of  evidence  against  us;  that  if  we 
were  convicted  now,  it  would  be  through  mere 
prejudice  and  perjury  on  the  part  of  the  court. 

As  the  trial  of  different  ones  proceeded,  we 
had  still  greater  encouragement  from  the  court 
itself.  Members  called  on  us,  and  told  us  to 
keep  in  good  heart,  as  there  was  no  evidence 
before  them  to  convict  any  one.  This  cheered 
us  somewhat,  but  there  was  still  one  thing 
which  I  did  not  like,  and  which  looked  as  if 
something  was  wrong.  The  court  would  not 
let  our  boys  be  present  to  hear  the  pleading  of 
counsel  on  either  side,  though  they  urgently 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.       175 

requested  it.  They  could  neither  hear  what 
our  lawyers  had  to  say  for  them,  nor  what  the 
Judge  Advocate  urged  against  them.  This 
seemed  still  stranger,  because  Andrews  had  not 
been  debarred  this  privilege.  But  they  used 
our  soldiers  with  even  less  show  of  justice  than 
had  been  accorded  to  him. 

After  three  or  four  had  been  tried,  one  of 
our  lawyers  visited  the  prison,  and  read  to  us 
the  plea  which  he  said  he  had  read  to  the 
court.  It  was  an  able  paper.  I  still  remember 
its  principal  features.  He  contended  that  t>ur 
being  dressed  in  citizens'  clothes  was  nothing 
more  than  what  the  Confederate  government 
had  expressly  authorized,  and  that  it  was  done 
by  all  the  guerillas  in  the  service  of  the  Con- 
federacy, whenever  it  was  for  their  interest. 
And  he  cited  the  instance  of  General  Morgan 
having  dressed  his  men  in  Federal  uniform,  and 
passed  them  off  as  belonging  to  the  Eighth 
Pennsylvania  Cavalry,  by  which  means  he  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  a  railroad  and  damaging  it. 
Also  that  our  government  had  captured  some 
of  these  very  men,  and  treated  them  as  prison- 
ers of  war.  This  instance  was  mentioned  to 
show  that  our  being  dressed  in  citizens'  clothes 
did  not  take  from  us  the  right  to  be  treated  as 
United  States  soldiers.  The  plea  went  on 


176  DARING  AND   SUFFERING  I   OR 


further  to  state  that  we  had  told  the  object  of 
our  expedition ;  that  it  was  a  purely  military 
one,  for  the  destruction  of  communications,  and 
as  such,  entirely  lawful  according  to  the  rules 
of  war.  What  reply  the  Judge  Advocate  made 
to  this,  we  never  had  the  means  of  ascertaining. 

The  trials  proceeded  rapidly.  One  man  was 
taken  out  each  day,  and  in  about  an  hour  re- 
turned. The  table  in  the  court  room  was  cov- 
ered with  bottles,  newspapers,  and  novels,  and 
the  court  passed  its  time  during  trial  in  discuss- 
ing these.  This  was  very  well  if  the  trial  was, 
as  they  said,  a  mere  matter  of  formality ;  but 
if  it  was  a  trial  in  earnest,  on  which  depended 
issues  of  life  or  death,  it  was  most  heartless 
conduct. 

At  last  the  number  of  seven  was  reached, 
and  they  would  probably  have  proceeded  in 
trying  others,  had  not  General  Mitchel,  who 
was  continually  troubling  them,  now  advanced, 
and  shelled  Chattanooga  from  the  opposite  side 
of  the  Tennessee  river.  This  at  once  broke  up 
the  court-martial,  and  sent  the  officers  in  hot 
haste  to  their  regiments  to  resist  his  progress. 
Soon  after,  General  Morgan  advanced  through 
Cumberland  Gap,  and  threatened  Knoxville, 
which  also  rendered  it  necessary  to  remove  us. 

They  came  in  with  ropes  and  began  to  tie  us. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      177 

"We  did  not  at  first  understand  this,  and  some 
supposed  we  were  to  be  taken  out  for  execution ; 
but  we  soon  became  convinced  that  it  was  only 
a  change  of  place.  They  arranged  us  for  trans- 
portation by  first  binding  our  hands  together  ; 
then,  fixing  our  arms  securely  in  the  loops  of 
long  ropes,  tied  them  firmly  to  our  sides,  after 
which  we  were  coupled  two  and  two.  Kopes 
were  used  in  fastening  us  instead  of  irons  as 
before,  because  they  had  borrowed  the  latter 
for  some  Union  prisoners,  who  had  just  been 
sent  to  Eichmond  ;  therefore  we  had  to  be  con- 
tent with  a  most  liberal  allowance  of  cotton 
rope.  While  they  were  thus  arranging  our 
manacles,  I  had  a  most  amusing  passage-at- 
words  with  the  adjutant  who  was  superintend- 
ing the  operation.  I  said  to  him  as  politely  as 
I  could : 

"I  suppose,  sir,  our  destination  is  not 
known  ?" 

"  It  is  not  known  to  you  at  any  rate,  sir," 
was  the  gruff  rejoinder. 

This  was  noticed  by  the  whole  party,  and  I 
felt  rather  beaten ;  but  a  moment  later  came  my 
chance  for  revenge.  He  turned  again  to  me, 
and  said,  in  a  dictatorial  manner : 

Who  was  it  that  run  your  engine  through  ?" 
12 


178  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

I  bowed  and  returned  in  the  blandest  tone, 
"  That  is  not  known  to  you  at  any  rate,  Sir" 

All  around  roared  with  laughter,  and  the 
adjutant,  reddening  to  the  eyes,  turned  away, 
muttering  that  he  believed  I  was  the  engineer 
myself ! 

When  everything  was  in  readiness,  we  bade 
an  adieu  to  the  capital  of  down-trodden  East 
Tennessee.  Oh !  what  bitter  memories  cluster 
around  that  old  gloomy  building.  It  has  been 
one  of  the  principal  instruments  in  crushing  the 
life  and  loyalty  out  of  the  hearts  of  a  brave, 
but  unfortunate  people.  May  the  day  soon 
come  when  the  suffering  of  East  Tennessee  will 
be  richly  repaid  on  the  heads  of  its  guilty  au- 
thors ! 

While  we  remained  here,  our  fare  was  of  the 
most  scanty  character.  We  received  it  only 
twice  a  day,  and  then  in  homeopathic  doses. 
We  continually  suffered  with  hunger  while  we 
were  well.  I,  myself,  became  quite  sick  during 
our  imprisonment  here,  and  continued  so  for 
most  of  the  summer.  Several  others  were  in 
the  same  condition.  This  was  rather  an  advan- 
tage, for  when  sick  we  did  not  so  much  mind 
the  scantiness  of  our  diet. 

A  number  of  Tennesseeans  were  removed 
with  us.  Among  them  was  Captain  Fry  and 


THE  GEE  AT  BAILED  AD  ADVENTUEE.   179 

Mr.  Pierce.  In  conversation  with  the  former,  I 
learned  the  full  particulars  of  his  history,  some 
incidents  of  which  I  had  heard  before  leaving 
our  camp.  He  had  raised  a  company  of  his 
neighbors,  and  running  the  gauntlet  of  guarded 
roads,  succeeded  in  reaching  our  army  in  Ken- 
tucky. Here  he  was  elected  captain,  and  re- 
mained for  some  time.  After  a  while,  the  gene- 
ral in  command  wished  him  to  go  into  Tennes- 
see, and  there  destroy  the  bridges  on  the 
Virginia  and  Tennessee  Kailroad ;  then  to  raise 
the  loyal  citizens  of  that  vicinity,  and  hold  the 
country  till  our  forces  could  arrive.  He  refused 
to  go,  until  assured  of  support  from  McClellan 
himself,  who  was  at  that  time  (the  fall  of  1861) 
in  command  of  the  whole  United  States  army, 
and  who  promised  that  a  column  should  ad- 
vance as  soon  as  Fry  succeeded.  With  this 
assurance,  he  departed  on  his  perilous  mission. 
He' aroused  the  Union  men  in  both  Virginia 
and  Tennessee,  burned  the  bridges,  and  thus 
for  a  time  destroyed  the  most  important  rebel 
line  of  communication;  and,  with  a  force  of 
fifteen  hundred  men,  held  the  entire  country 
embraced  in  his  operations,  and  even  seriously 
threatened  Knoxville  itself.  Now  was  the  time 
for  our  forces  to  have  struck  the  decisive  blow, 
and  not  only  have  redeemed  Bast  Tennessee 


180  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

from  its  chains,  but  also  severed  the  rebellion 
in  halves !  It  was  perfectly  practicable.  A 
large  body  lay  near  Camp  Dick  Robinson,  with 
only  a  trifling  force  in  front  to  impede  its  pro- 
gress. But  in  the  meantime,  McClellan  had 
changed  his  plans,  and  without  warning  Fry,  left 
him  and  his  brave  companions  to  their  fate. 
The  struggle  was  a  brief  one  ;  the  secessionists, 
thus  left  to  themselves,  concentrated  an  over- 
whelming force  against  him.  Several  skirmishes 
were  fought,  and  finally  the  Union  force  was 
compelled  to  disperse.  Some  of  them  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  our  lines  in  Kentucky. 
Others  were  caught,  and  several  of  these  were 
hung  without  a  trial !  Such  were  some  of  the 
murders  that  first  rendered  General  Leadbetter 
notorious ! 

One  of  these  cases  is  almost  too  horrible  for 
belief.  I  would  hesitate  to  record  it,  were  I  not 
assured  of  its  truth  by  the  testimony  of  eye- 
witnesses separated  by  hundreds  of  miles.  It 
wtsB  of  a  man  named  named  Whan,\who,  on 
beino^arrested,  acknowledged  that  he  helped  to 
burn-xthe  bridges,  but  refused  to  describe  his 
conxpanions.  For  this,  he  was  put  into  a  barrel 
driven  full  of  small,  sharp-pointed  nails,  and 
rolled  down  a  steep  hill — then  taken  out,  all 
bleeding,  and  hung !  This  was  on  Saturday 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      181 

and  he,  with  his  companions,  was  allowed  to 
hang  till  Monday  night,  when  some  of  his 
friends,  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives,  came  and 
took  them  down  !  Should  we  compromise  with 
such  fiends  in  human  shape,  and  purchase  their 
fellowship  again,  or  give  them  the  puishment 
that  injured  humanity  demands? 

Fry  passed  the  whole  winter  in  the  wild 
mountains  with  which  Tennessee  abounds,  and 
in  the  spring  he  again  gathered  his  neighbors 
together,  a  regiment  strong,  and  tried  to  reach 
the  Union  lines.  Near  the  border,  he  was 
attacked  by  a  superior  rebel  force,  and  after  a 
severe  contest,  his  band  was  dispersed,  himself 
wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  This  was  on  the 
5th  of  March,  and  he  remained  in  solitary  con- 
finement until  he  joined  us  on  the  13th  of  June. 
He  was  an  uneducated  man,  but  possessed 'of 
great  natural  ability,  and  the  most  undaunted 
courage,  with  a  heart  as  tender  and  sympa- 
thetic as  a  child's. 

We  took  no  rations  along,  and  were  obliged 
to  starve  through,  as  we  now  had  no  guerillas 
along  to  buy  us  pies.  On  the  way,  the  populace 
taunted  us  with  Andrews'  death,  and  charitably 
hoped  that  we  might  soon  meet  the  same  fate. 
But  some  of  the  officers  talked  with  us  in  a 
friendly  spirit,  assuring  us  that  we  would  not 


182  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING :    OK 

be  hurt.  This  produced  some  impression,  and 
taken  in  connection  with  what  had  been  told  us 
by  members  of  the  court-martial,  and  others  at 
Knoxville,  made  us  quite  hopeful. 

When  we  neared  the  Atlanta  city  jail,  which 
was  to  be  our  abode  for  many  weary  months,  a 
crowd  gathered  as  usual,  and  a  man  who  called 
himself  mayor  of  the  city  began  to  insult  Cap- 
tain Fry,  telling  him  that  he  knew  him  to  be  a 
rascal  in  his  own  country,  and  that  he  hoped 
soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of  hanging  him. 
Then  turning  to  us,  he  boasted  that  he  had  put 
the  rope  around  Andrews'  neck,  and  was  wait- 
ing and  anxious  to  do  the  same  for  us ! 

This  prison  was  smaller  than  that  at  Knox- 
ville, but  was  still  a  large  edifice.  The  lower 
story  was  occupied  by  the  jailor  and  his  family. 
The  upper  contained  four  rooms,  of  which  we, 
with  Captain  Fry,  occupied  one.  The  Ten- 
nesseeans  were  put  into  another,  just  across  the 
entry  from  us.  Our  comrades,  who  had  been 
left  at  Chattanooga,  were  in  another ;  and  the 
last  one,  which  was  on  the  same  side  as  ours, 
was  frequently  occupied  by  negroes  who  had 
been  in  search  of  the  North  Star. 

For  some  time  here,  our  rations  were  com- 
paratively good  and  abundant.  But  after 
awhile,  the  task  of  feeding  us  was  taken  from 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      183 

the  jailor,  who  had  at  first  assumed  it,  and  then 
our  fare  became  worse  than  it  ever  had  been  be- 
fore. The  jailor  himself  was  a  kind  man,  and 
rather  of  Union  sentiments.  He  showed  us  all 
the  favor  in  his  power,  and,  indeed,  became  so 
much  suspected,  that  an  odious  old  man  named 
Thoer  was  hired  to  watch  him.  The  constant 
vigilance  of  this  antiquated  scoundrel,  with  the 
superintendence  of  the  officers  of  the  guard,  who 
were  always  \t  hand,  prevented  the  jailor  from 
befriending  us  as  much  as  his  heart  dictated. 

Here  we  remained  for  a  week  in  quietness  and 
hope,  thinking  the  worst  of  our  trials  were 
past.  Little  did  we  foresee  how  fearful  a  storm 
was  soon  to  burst  over  us. 


184  BAKING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 


CHAPTER    XI. 

M 

Cavalry  Approach — Seven  Removed  from  the  Room — Sus- 
pense— Sentence  of  Death — Heart-rending  Separation 
— Death  and  the  Future — Not  Prepared  —  Inhuman 
Haste — The  Tragedy — Speech  on  the  Scaffold — Breaking 
Ropes — Enemies  Affected — Gloom  of  Survivors — Prayer. 

ONE  day  while  we  were  very  merry,  amusing 
ourselves  with  games  and  stories,  we  saw  a 
squadron  of  cavalry  approaching.  This  did  not 
at  first  excite  any  attention,  for  it  was  a  com- 
mon thing  to  see  bodies  of  horsemen  in  the 
streets ;  but  soon  we  observed  them  halt  at  our 
gate,  and  surround  the  prison.  "What  could 
this  mean? 

A  moment  after,  the  clink  of  the  officers' 
swords  was  heard  as  they  ascended  the  stair-, 
way,  and  we  knew  that  something  unusual  was 
about  to  take  place.  They  paused  at  our  door, 
threw  it  open,  called  the  names  of  our  seven 
companions,  and  took  them  out  to  the  room 
opposite,  putting  the  Tennesseeans  in  with  us. 
One  of  our  boys,  named  E,obinson,s  was  sick  of 
a  fever,  and  had  to  be  raised  to  his  feet,  and 
supported  out  of  the  room. 

With  throbbing  hearts  we  asked  one  another 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      185 

the  meaning  of  these  strange  proceedings. 
Some  supposed  they  were  to  receive  their  ac- 
quittal ;  others,  still  more  sanguine,  believed 
they  were  taken  out  of  the  room  'to  be  paroled, 
preparatory  to  an  exchange. 

I  was  sick,  too,  but  rose  to  my  feet,  oppressed 
with  a  nameless  fear.  A  half  crazy  Kentuck- 
ian,  who  was  with  the  Tennesseeans,  came  to  me 
and  wanted  to  play  a  game  of  cards.  I  struck 
the  greasy  pack  out  of  his  hands,  and  bade  him 
leave  me. 

A  moment  after,  the  door  opened,  and  George 
D.  Wilson  entered,  his  step  firm  and  his  form 
erect,  but  his  countenance  pale  as  death.  Some 
one  asked  a  solution  of  the  dreadful  mystery,  in 
a  whisper,  for  his  face  silenced  every  one. 

"  We  are  to  be  executed  immediately,'1'1  was  the 
awful  reply,  whispered  with  thrilling  distinctness. 
The  others  came  in  all  tied,  ready  for  the  scaf- 
fold. Then  came  the  farewells — farewells  with 
no  hope  of  meeting  again  in  this  world !  It 
was  a  moment  that  seemed  an  age  of  measure- 
less sorrow. 

Our  comrades  were,  brave  ;  they  were  soldiers, 
and  had  often  looked  death  in  the  face  on  the 
battle-field.  They  were  ready,  if  need  be,  to 
die  for  their  country ;  but  to  die  on  the  scaffold 


186  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OB 

— to  die  as  murderers  die — seemed  almost  too 
hard  for  human  nature  to  bear. 

Then,  too,  the  prospect  of  a  future  world, 
into  which  they  were  thus  to  be  hurled  without 
a  moment's  preparation,  was  black  and  appalling. 
Most  of  them  had  been  careless,  and  had  no 
hope  beyond  the  grave.  Wilson  was  a  pro- 
fessed infidel,  and  many  a  time  had  argued  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  religion  with  me  for  a 
half  day  at  a  time ;  but  in  this  awful  hour  he 
said  to  me: 

"  Pittenger,  I  believe  you  are  right,  now ! 
Oh !  try  to  be  better  prepared  when  you  come 
to  die  than  I  am."  Then,  laying  his  hand  on 
my  head  with  a  muttered  "  God  bless  you,"  we 
parted. 

Shadrack  was  profane  and  reckless,  but  good- 
hearted  and  merry.  Now,  turning  to  us  with  a 
voice,  the  forced  calmness  of  which  was  more 
affecting  than  a  wail  of  agony,  he  said  : 

"  Boys,  I  am  not  prepared  to  meet  Jesus." 

When  asked  by  some  of  us  in  tears  to  think 
of  heaven,  he  answered,  still  in  tones  of  thrill- 
ing calmness,  "  I'll  try  !  I'll  try !  But  I  know 
I  am  not  prepared." 

Slavens,  who  was  a  man  of  immense  strength 
and  iron  resolution,  turned  to  his  friend  Bufr'um, 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      187 

and   could  only  articulate,  "Wife — children — 
tell" — when  utterance  failed. 

Scott  was  married  only  three  days  before  he 
came  to  the  army,  and  the  thought  of  his  young 
and  sorrowing  wife  nearly  drove  him  to  despair. 
He  could  only  clasp  his  hands  in  silent 
agony. 

Boss  was  the  firmest  of  all.  His  eyes  beamed 
with  unnatural  light,  and  there  was  not  a  tre- 
mor in  his  voice  as  he  said,  "  Tell  them  at  home, 
if  any  of  you  escape,  that  I  died  for  my  country, 
and  did  not  regret  it." 

All  this  transpired  in  a  moment,  and  even 
then  the  Marshal  and  other  officers  standing  by 
him  in  the  door,  exclaimed : 

"  Hurry  up  there  f  come  on !  we  can't  wait ! 

In  this  manner  my  poor  comrades  were  hur- 
ried off.  Robinson,  who  was  too  sick  to  walk, 
was  dragged  away  with  them.  They  asked 
leave  to  bid  farewell  to  our  other  boys,  who* 
were  confined  in  the  adjoining  room,  but  it  was 
sternly  refused ! 

Thus  we  parted.  We  saw  the  death  cart 
containing  our  comrades  drive  off,  surrounded 
by  cavalry.  In  about  an  hour  it  came  back 
empty.  The  tragedy  was  complete ! 

Later  in  the  evening,  the  Provost-Marshal 
came  to  the  prison,  and,  in  reply  to  our  ques- 


188  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

tions,  informed  tis  that  our  friends  "  Had  met 
their  fate  as  brave  men  should  die  everywhere." 

The  next  day  we  obtained  from  the  guards, 
who  were  always  willing  to  talk  with  us  in  the 
absence  of  the  officers,  full  particulars  of  the 
seven-fold  murder. 

When  our  companions  were  mounted  on  the 
scaffold,  Wilson  asked  permission  to  say  a  few 
words,  which  was  granted — probably  in  the 
hope  of  hearing  some  confession  which  would 
justify  them  in  the  murder  they  were  about  to 
commit.  But  this  was  not  his  intention.  It  was 
a  strange  stand — a  dying  speech  to  a  desperate 
audience,  and  under  the  most  terrible  circum- 
stances. 

But  he  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  Un terri- 
fied by  the  near  approach  of  death,  he  spoke 
his  mind  freely.  He  told  them  that  "  they  were 
all  in  the  wrong ;  that  he  had  no  hard  feelings 
toward  the  Southern  people  for  what  they  were 
about  to  do,  because  they  had  been  duped  by 
their  leaders,  and  induced  by  them  to  engage  in 
the  work  of  rebellion.  He  also  said,  that  though 
he  was  condemned  as  a  spy,  yet  he  was  none, 
and  they  well  knew  it.  He  was  only  a  soldier  in 
the  performance  of  the  duty  he  had  been  detailed 
to  do;  that  he  did  not  regret  to  die  for  his 
country,  but  only  regretted  the  manner  of  his 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      189 

death.  He  concluded  by  saying  that  they  would 
yet  live  to  regret  the  part  they  had  taken  in 
this  rebellion,  and  would  see  the  time  when  the 
old  Union  would  be  restored,  and  the  flag  of  our 
country  wave  over  the  very  ground  occupied  by 
his  scaffold." 

This  made  a  deep  impression  on  tliem'nds  of 
those  who  listened,  and  I  often  afterward  heard 
it  spoken  of  in  terms  of  the  highest  admiration. 
When  he  ceased,  the  signal  was  given,  and  the 
traps  fell  1*  . 

Five  only  remained  dangling  in  the  air  ;  for 
two  of  the  seven,  Campbell  and  Slavens,  being 
very  heavy  men,  broke  the  ropes,  and  fell  to 
the  ground  insensible.  In  a  short  time  they 

*  A  refugee  from  the  State  of  Georgia,  now  in*  this  city, 
who  witnessed  the  execution,  but,  from  peculiar  circum- 
stances, does  not  make  his  name  public,  corroborates  this 
statement,  and  adds,  that  these  brave  men  were  surrounded 
by  three  or  four  hundred  guerillas  and  partisan  rangers, 
as  they  called  themselves,  who  disputed  for  the  honor  of 
being  the  executioners.  The  matter  was  settled  by  the 
party  taking  a  vote,  when  twelve  were  selected  as  the 
favored  ones.  The  rebel  soldiers  who  perpetrated  this 
outrageous  murder,  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  in  spreeing 
and  jollification,  many  of  them  writing  to  their  friends  at 
home  an  account  of  the  pleasure  they  felt  in  assisting  in 
the  hanging  of  "  seven  blue-bellies,"  as  they  termed  the 
Union  soldiers. — Note  from  a  Pamphlet  entitled  "  Ohio 
Boys  in  Dixie,"  published  in  New  York  in  April,  1863. 


190  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OB 

recovered,  and  asked  for  a  drink  of  water,  which 
was  given  them.  Then  they  requested  an  hour 
to  pray  before  entering  the  future  world  which 
lay  so  near  and  dark  before  them.  This  last 
petition  was  indignantly  refused,  and  as  soon  as 
the  ropes  could  be  adjusted,  they  were  com- 
pelled to  re-ascend  the  scaffold,  and  were  again 
turned  off! 

The  whole  proceeding,  from  beginning  to 
end,  was  marked  by  the  most  revolting  haste. 
They  seemed  to  wish,  by  thus  affording  no  time 
to  prepare  for  death,  to  murder  soul  and  body 
both.  Even  the  worst  criminals  in  our  country 
are  allowed  some  weeks  to  ask  for  God's  mercy, 
before  they  are  thrust  into  his  presence  ;  but 
our  poor  boys,  whose  only  crime  was  loving  and 
trying  to  serve  their  country,  were  not  allowed 
one  moment !  Could  the  barbarity  of  fiends  go 
further  ? 

That  afternoon  was  one  of  deepest  gloom  for 
those  who  remained.  We  knew  not  how  soon 
we  might  be  compelled  to  follow  in  the  same 
path,  and  drink  the  same  bitter  cup  our  comrades 
drank.  Once  during  the  trial  we  had  offered  to 
accept  the  award  of  the  court  in  one  of  the 
cases  as  the  sentence  of  all,  since  we  could 
not  see  the  slightest  reason  for  leaving  some 
and  taking  others.  At  that  time,  however,  we 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      191 

believed  that  all  would  be  acquitted.     Now 
every  hope  had  vanished. 

But  even  without  the  addition  of  fear  for  our- 
selves, the  parting  from  our  loved  friends,  whose 
voices  were  still  ringing  in  our  ears,  while  they 
themselves  had  passed  beyond  the  gates  of  death 
into  the  unknown  land  of  shadows,  was  enough 
to  rend  the  stoutest  heart.  There  were  tears 
then  from  eyes  that  shrank  before  no  danger. 

But  I  could  not  shed  a  tear.  A  cloud  of 
burning  heat  rushed  to  my  head  that  seemed  to 
scorch  through  every  vein.  For  hours  I 
scarcely  knew  where  I  was,  or  the  loss  I  had 
sustained.  Every  glance  around  the  room, 
which  revealed  the  vacant  places  of  our  friends, 
would  bring  our  sorrow  freshly  on  us  again. 
Thus  the  afternoon  passed  away  in  grief  too 
deep  for  words.  Slowly  and  silently  the  mo- 
ments wore  on,  and  no  one  ventured  to  whisper 
of  hope. 

At  last  some  voice  suggested  that  we  should 
seek  relief  in  prayer.  The  very  idea  seemed  to 
convey  consolation,  and  was  eagerly  accepted. 
Soon  we  knelt  around  the  bare  walls  of  our 
strange  sanctuary,  and  with  bleeding  hearts 
drew  near  the  throne  of  God.  Captain  Fry 
first  led  us,  and  mingled  sobs  with  strong  sup- 
plications. Then  each  followed  in  his  turn,  with 


192  DARING  AND   SUFFERING:    OR 


but  one  or  two  exceptions,  and  even  these  were 
kneeling  with,  the  rest.  As  the  twilight  deep- 
ened, our  devotional  exercises  grew  more  so- 
lemn. In  the  lonely  shadow  of  coming  night, 
with  eternity  thus  open  tangibly  before  us,  and 
standing  on  its  very  brink,  we  prayed  with  a 
fervor  that  those  who  dwell  in  safety  can 
scarcely  conceive.  "We  besought  our  Father 
only  that  we  might  be  prepared  for  the  fate 
that  was  inevitable,  and  that  as  he  had  led  us 
through  great  trials,  he  would  be  our  Comforter, 
and  sustain  us  still.  Who  will  say  that  such 
prayer  was  not  effectual !  It  was  heard  in  hea- 
ven. Even  there,  in  that  prison,  surrounded 
by  an  armed  guard,  amid  the  gloom  of  coming 
danger,  the  peace  of  God,  like  a  dove  bearing 
the  olive  branch,  descended  into  every  broken 
and  believing  heart.  It  was  a  holy  hour,  and 
if  the  angels  above  ever  bend  from  their  bright 
mansions  to  comfort  human  sorrow,  I  do  be- 
lieve that  they  were  then  hovering  near.  From 
that  hour  I  date  the  birth  of  an  immortal  hope, 
and  I  believe  that  many  of  my  companions 
also,  on  looking  back,  will  realize  that  they 
passed  from  death  to  life  in  that  dreary  prison- 
room! 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.         193 


CHAPTEE    XII. 

Religious  Experience — Contraband  Assistance — Intelli- 
gence of  Negroes — Love  of  Freedom — Wollam's  Recap- 
ture—A Friendly  Preacher— Obtain  Books— Disgusting 
Diet— Plays— Debates— Reading  Hours — Envy  the  Birds 
— Dreams  of  Home— Telegraphing— Friends  from  oui 
Army — Hope  Deferred— Union  Society — Difficulties  of 
Tobacco-chewers — Precious  Books. 

FROM  this  time  forward,  we  had  religious 
exercises  each  morning  and  evening,  and  they 
were  a  blessed  consolation  to  us — sustaining  our 
hearts  when  every  earthly  avenue  of  hope  had 
closed.  Frequently  we  startled  the  guards 
who  were  around  us,  by  the  hymns  we  sang,  for 
now  the  character  of  our  songs  was  changed, 
and  our  thoughts  and  aspirations  began  to  point 
upward.  It  is  a  delicate  matter  to  speak  of  one's 
own  religious  experience,  but  in  the  hope  of 
doing  good,  I  will  venture.  At  first  my  hopes 
were  not  bright.  For  days  and  weeks  an  im- 
penetrable cloud  seemed  to  rest  over  me,  and  to 
vail  heaven  from  my  view ;  sometimes  for  a 
moment  it  would  give  way,  and  show  light  and 
peace  beyond,  then  close  up,  thick,  and  dark, 
and  lowering,  as  ever.  But  at  last  the  day 
13 


194:  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

gradually  arose,  and  I  was  enabled  to  rejoice  in 
hopes  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away. 

But  these  were  long  and  weary  days.  Our 
room  was  of  greater  size  than '  that  in  Chatta- 
nooga, and  had  larger  windows,  yet  the  heat 
was  fearfully  oppressive.  Our  other  boys  were 
put  in  the  room  with  us,  which  made  fifteen  in 
all.  One  of  them,  named  Wood,  was  very  sick. 
He  had  been  prostrated  with  the  fever  for  nearly 
a  month,  and  at  this  time  his  life  was  despaired 
of.  This  was  not  thought  to  be  any  great  mis- 
fortune to  him  by  the  others,  who  administered 
consolation  in  a  style  worthy  of  the  best  of 
Job's  friends.  They  reasoned,  "  Now,  if  you  get 
well,  you  will  only  be  hung.  You  had  better 
try  to  die  yourself,  and  thus  you  will  outwit 
them."~"  Wood,  however,  did  not  relish  the 
counsel,  and  getting  contrary,  he  recovered, 
"just  for  spite,"  as  he  often  declared.  He  yet 
lives  to  laugh  over  the  advice  that  his  despairing 
associates  gave  him. 

We  had  friends  in  the  waiters  of  the  prison, 
though  their  faces  were  black.  They  assisted 
us  by  every  means  in  their  power.  It  was 
not  long  till  they  found  that  there  was  nothing 
we  desired  so  much  as  to  read  the  news ;  and 
they  taxed  their  ingenuity  to  gratify  us.  They 
would  wait  till  the  jailor  or  some  of  the  guard 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      195 

had  finished  reading  a  paper,  and  laid  it  down, 
and  then  slyly  purloin  it.  When  meal  time 
came,  it  would  be  put  into  the  bottom  of  the 
pan  in  which  our  food  was  brought,  and  thus 
handed  in  to  us.  The  paper  had  to  be  returned 
in  the  same  way,  to  avoid  suspicion.*  The 
guards  and  officers  would  talk  with  us,  and 
always  finding  us  possessed  of  a  knowledge  of 
the  events  of  the  war,  at  least  as  far  as  the 
Southern  papers  gave  it,  came  at  last  to  think 
we  had  an  instinctive  idea  of  news — something 
like  what  the  bee  has  of  geometrical  forms! 
They  never  suspected  the  negroes,  though  for 
several  months  it  was  only  through  their  instru- 
mentality that  we  could  obtain  any  definite 
information  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  world 
without. 

Having  found  the  negroes  thus  intelligent  and 
useful,  far  beyond  what  I  had  supposed  possible, 
I  questioned  them  about  other  matters.  They 
were  better  informed  than  I  had  given  them 
credit  for,  and  knew  enough  to  disbelieve  all 

*  In  one  of  these  papers  I  noticed  a  description  of  two 
Federal  officers  who  had  escaped  from  Macon,  Georgia.  It 
was  Captain  Geer.  with  whom  I  have  lectured  in  several 
places  since  my  return,  and  his  comrade,  Lieutenant  Col- 
lins. Their  adventures  are  recorded  in  a  book  called 
"Beyond  the  Lines." 


196  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OK 

the  stories  rebels  told.  When  the  whites  were 
not  present;  they  laughed  at  the  grand  victories 
the  papers  were  publishing  every  day,  but  rather 
leaned  to  the  opposite  extreme,  and  gave  them 
less  credit  than  was  their  due,  for  they  would 
believe  that  the  Federal  troops  were  always  vic- 
torious. Even  after  McClellan's  repulse  before 
Kichmond,  they  continued,  for  weeks,  to  assure 
us  that  he  had  the  town,  and  had  beaten  the 
rebels  in  every  engagement  1 

They  imagined  that  all  the  Northern  troops 
were  chivalrous  soldiers,  fighting  for  the  uni- 
versal rights  of  man,  and,  of  course,  they 
esteemed  it  a  high  privilege  to  contribute  to 
the  comfort  of  such  noble  men.  Some  of  them 
had  imbibed  the  idea,  which  is  common  with  the 
poor  whites  of  the  South,  that  Lincoln  is  a 
negro  or  a  mulatto,  but  most  of  them  placed 
so  little  credit  in  the  assertions  of  their  masters, 
that  they  disbelieved  this  story  also.  But  they 
never  wavered  in  their  belief  that  the  Union 
troops  would  conquer,  and  that  the  result  of 
the  victory  would  be  their  freedom.  I  had 
extensive  opportunities  for  observing  them,  as 
the  room  next  to  us  was  appropriated  to  the 
safe-keeping  of  negroes,  and  I  never  yet  saw 
one  who  did  not  cherish  an  ardent  desire  for 
freedom,  and  wish  and  long  for  the  time  when 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      197 

the  triumph  of  the  national  forces  would  place 
the  coveted  boon  within  his  grasp. 

One  morning  our  jailor  came  to  our  room, 
and  asked  us  if  we  knew  John  Wollam.  We 
hesitated  to  answer,  as  we  could  not  fathom  the 
motives  of  the  inquiry.  But  even  while  we 
deliberated  among  ourselves,  John  came  up, 
and  ended  our  doubts  by  greeting  us  heartily. 
He  had  been  parted  from  us  some  three  weeks, 
and  in  that  time  had  suffered  most  incredible 
hardships  in  the  manner  I  have  narrated  before. 
He  joined  us  in  our  prayer-meeting  with  much 
good  will.  Now  all  the  survivors  of  our  party 
were  together  again. 

There  is  one  Georgia  minister  I  will  always 
remember  with  gratitude,  not  that  he  was  a 
Union  man,  for  I  have  no  evidence  that  he 
was,  but  because  of  his  generosity  to  us.  He 
was  a  Methodist  clergyman  in  Atlanta,  by  the 
name  of  McDonnell.  He  came  to  visit  us  at 
the  suggestion  of  our  old  jailor,  who,  seeing  us 
engaged  in  religious  exercises,  naturally  sup- 
posed we  would  like  to  talk  with  a  preacher. 
We  received  him  kindly,  and  an  interesting 
conversation  took  place.  Some  of  the  boys 
were  slightly  offended  by  his  first  prayer,  in 
which  he  petitioned  that  our  lives  might  be 
spared,  if  consistent  with  the  interests  of  the  Con* 


198 

federacy.  We  did  not  very  well  like  the  con- 
dition, but  said  nothing,  and  were  afterward 
rewarded  for  our  complacency.  At  my  request, 
he  loaned  us  a  few  books,  and  when  these  were 
read  through,  gave  us  still  others,  until  we  had 
read  nearly  his  entire  library.  Those  only  who 
know  what  a  terrible  weariness  it  is  to  pass 
time  without  any  definite  employment,  and 
with  no  means  of  relieving  the  hours  that  hang 
so  heavily  on  their  hands,  or  of  diverting  their 
thoughts  from  the  one  never-ending  round,  can 
form  any  idea  of  the  great  boon  that  a  few 
good  books  bestowed  on  us. 

Our  provision  here  became  worse  and  less, 
until  it  very  nearly  reached  the  starvation 
point.  For  some  months,  the  only  food  we 
received  was  a  very  short  allowance  of  corn- 
bread,  baked  with  all  the  bran  in  it,  and  with- 
out salt,  with  a  little  pork,  mostly  spoiled! 
Frequently  the  pork  would  be  completehr  cov- 
ered with  maggots,  and  disgusting  as  it  was, 
hunger  compelled  us  to  eat  it!  Even  then, 
there  was  not  enough  of  this  miserable  fare  to 
satisfy  our  appetites!  What  would  those  who 
spend  their  time  in  denouncing  our  government 
as  the  only  enemy,  and  sympathize  with  "our 
mistaken  Southern  brethren,"  who  have  been 
alienated  by  the  misconduct  of  the  loyal  States, 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      199 

say,  if  these  "  brethren"  had  subjected  them  to 
the  same  treatment.  Their  sympathies  would 
hardly  have  survived  the  trial. 

Dreary  as  the  days  were  here,  yet  we  did  not 
surrender  ourselves  to  gloomy  forebodings  and 
vain  lamentings  over  our  misfortunes.  Al- 
though the  fate  of  our  companions  seemed  sus- 
pended over  our  heads  by  a  single  hair,  yet  we 
shunned  despondency,  and  labored  to  provide 
such  amusements  as  would  relieve  us  of  the 
heavy  tedium  of  our  prison-life. 

On  that  terrible  day  of  execution,  we  threw 
away  our  cards,  which  before  had  been  played 
almost  day  and  night,  and  resolved  to  engage 
no  more  in  that  game.  But  the  necessity  of 
doing  something  prompted  us  to  search  for  new 
pastimes.  We  carved  a  checker-board  on  the 
floor,  and  it  was  occupied  from  morning  till 
evening  by  eager  players.  We  all  became 
very  expert  in  checkers.  To  provide  a  more 
intellectual  amusement,  we  also  formed  a  de- 
bating society,  and  spent  hour  after  hour  in 
discussing  quaint  questions  of  every  kind. 
Many  were  the  long-winded  speeches  that  were 
made,  for  time  was  no  object ;  and  if  no  one  was 
convinced  of  a  new  position,  we  still  had  the 
consolation  of  knowing  that  there  was  no  lost 
labor,  where  the  labor  itself  was  a  pleasure. 


200  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

In  order  to  enjoy  to  the  fullest  extent  the 
books  we  had  so  fortunately  procured,  we  ap- 
pointed regular  reading  hours — two  in  the 
forenoon,  and  the  same  in  the  afternoon.  Dur- 
ing this  time,  no  one  was  allowed  even  to 
whisper.  Some  of  our  boys  were  a  little  wild 
and  restless  at  times,  and  would  break  the 
rules;  but  generally  our  order  was  excellent. 
We  gained  much  useful  knowledge  during 
these  hours  of  intellectual  employment  in  our 
novel  school. 

But  all  our  efforts  to  pleasantly  while  away 
those  terribly  long  summer  days  were  in  vain. 
The  tediousness,  and  oppressiveness,  and  vain 
longing  for  action,  would  press  down  on  us  closer 
and  closer.  Brown,  who  was  one  of  the  most 
restless  of  mortals,  would  amuse  himself,  as  long 
as  he  could  endure  it,  at  the  pastimes  we  had 
devised,  then  suddenly  cease  playing,  and  com- 
mence pacing  the  floor  like  a  caged  bear ;  when 
this,  too,  grew  unendurable,  he  would  stop  at 
the  door,  and  say,  in  the  most  piteous  tones  (of 
course  meant  only  for  us  to  hear)  "  0 !  kind  sir, 
please  let  me  out  1"  The  feeling  he  expressed 
was  shared  by  all.  Never  before  could  I  realize 
the  full  value  of  liberty,  and  the  horror  of  con- 
finement. Even  in  the  prisons  where  we  had 
hitherto  been,  the  novelty  of  our  situation,  the 


THE   GKEAT  KAILBOAD  ADVENTUKE.      201 

frequency  of  our  removals,  and  the  bustie  and 
excitement  of  the  trial,  prevented  the  blank 
monotony  of  imprisonment  from  settling  down 
on  us  as  it  did  here,  when  the  first  few  weeks 
had  rolled  by,  and  no  intimations  of  our  fate 
reached  us.  It  was  like  the  stillness  and  the 
death  that  brood  over  the  Dead  Sea. 

We  would  sit  at  the  windows,  in  the  sultry 
noon,  and  look  out  through  the  bars,  at  the  free 
birds  as  they  flew  past,  seemingly  so  merry  and 
full  of  joyous  life,  and  foolishly  wish  that  we, 
too,  were  birds,  that  we  might  fly  away,  and  be 
at  peace. 

At  long  intervals,  two  of  us  would  be  per- 
mitted to  go  down  into  the  yard,  to  do  our 
washing.  One  day  it  came  my  turn ;  it  was 
then  three  months  since  I  had  stepped  out  of  my 
room,  and  the  unobscured  vision  of  open  air 
and  sky  made  it  seem  like  another  world.  I 
remember  looking  up  at  the  snowy  clouds,  my 
syes  almost  dazzled  by  the  unusual  light,  and 
wondering,  as  I  gazed  on  their  beautiful  and 
changing  forms,  whether  beyond  them  lay  a 
world  of  rest,  in  which  were  neither  wars 
nor  prisons.  And  with  the  thought  came  the 
fear  that  if  I  was  once  more  permitted  to  mingle 
as  a  free  man,  away  from  the  immediate  pres- 
sure of  danger,  with  the  busy  throng  of  life,  I 


202  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

would  forget  my  prison-made  vows,  and  thus 
lose  my  claim  to  a  world  -of  never-fading  light. 
Such  a  sense  of  weakness  and  helplessness  came 
over  me,  that  it  was  with  a  feeling  almost  of 
relief  that  I  returned  once  more  to  my  dark  and 
narrow  room,  where  the  contrast  between  free- 
dom and  bondage  was  less  palpably  forced  on  my 
view. 

All  this  time  we  hardly  permitted  ourselves 
to  indulge  a  hope  of  ever  getting  home  again. 
The  friends  we  once  knew  in  happier  days, 
seemed  separated  from  us  by  an  impassable  gulf; 
and  when  our  minds  would  call  up  before  us 
the  scenes  and  loved  ones  of  home,  it  was  like 
treading  on  forbidden  ground.  But  when  the 
miseries  of  the  day  were  passed,  and  we  were 
wrapped  in  that  sweet  slumber  that  ever  visits 
the  weary  alike  in  prison  and  palace,  there  was 
no  longer  any  restraint,  and  we  were  once  more 
at  home — once  more  in  the  enjoyment  of  love 
and  freedom. 

Often  have  I  seen  in  dreams  the  streets  and 
buildings  of  my  own  town  rise  before  me,  and 
have  felt  a  thrilling  pleasure  in  contemplating 
them,  as  I  wended  my  way  towards  the  sacred 
precincts  for  ever  hallowed  by  affection.  But  the 
waking  from  these  incursions  into  the  realms 
of  paradise  was  sad  beyond  measure,  and  the 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      203 

cold,  bare  walls  of  prison  never  looked  half 
so  dreary,  as  when  seen  in  contrast  with  the 
visions  which  had  just  been  dispersed  by  the 
morning  light. 

An  anecdote  here  will  fitly  illustrate  the 
affection  and  exaggerated  reverence  we  felt  for 
what  we,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  guards 
and  citizens,  insisted  on  calling  "  God's  coun- 
try." I  had  been  reading  one  of  Bascom's  ser- 
mons, from  a  book  which  the  minister  had 
loaned  us,  on  "  The  Joys  of  Heaven."  All  lis- 
tened to  his  magnificent  description  with  the 
greatest  of  interest,  and  when  it  was  finished, 
some  one  started  the  query  as  to  whether  they 
would  rather  be  in  heaven,  safe  from  all 
harm,  or  in  Cincinnati.  After  a  debate  which 
was  conducted  with  great  animation  on  both 
sides,  the  majority  concluded,  no  doubt  honest- 
ly, that  they  would  rather  be  in  Cincinnati — 
for  a  while,  at  least! 

In  order  to  keep  thoroughly  posted,  we 
opened  communications  to  every  room  in  the 
prison.  Those  on  the  other  side  of  the  entry, 
we  reached  by  means  of  a  small  stick,  attached 
to  a  string,  and  thrown  under  the  door.  There 
was  a  chimney  came  up  between  our  room  and 
the  other  on  the  same  side  of  the  entry;  each 
of  our  stove-pipes  led  into  this  chimney  at 


2  04  DARING  AND   SUFFERING  ;    OR 

points  directly  opposite,  and  by  taking  off  the 
pipes,  we  could  talk  through,  but  there  was 
danger  of  being  overheard.  To  obviate  this, 
we  split  a  long  lath  off  the  side  of  our  room, 
in  such  a  way  as  to  be  able  to  take  it  down 
and  put  it  up  at  pleasure.  This  we  used  for 
passing  notes  backward  and  forward  through 
this  concealed  passage,  and  it  became  very  use- 
ful when  we  afterward  contemplated  an  escape. 
One  morning  the  guard  brought  up  some 
prisoners,  and  as  soon  as  they  had  retired,  we 
resorted  to  our  usual  method  of  telegraphing, 
to  ascertain  their  character.  To  our  great  sur- 
prise and  pleasure,  we  found  that  two  of  them 
were  from  the  Tenth  Wisconsin,  a  regiment  in 
our  own  brigade.  They  told  us  that  we  had 
long  since  been  given  up  for  dead,*  and  that 
our  comrades  were  vowing  vengeance  for  our 
murder.  They  were  quite  surprised  to  find  so 
many  of  us  still  alive.  The  other  two  were 
regulars,  who  had  been  captured  on  the  coast 
of  Florida.  These  soldiers  remained  with  us 
till  we  were  taken  to  Richmond.  From  them 

*  All  our  friends  at  home  believed  we  were  executed. 
My  obituary  notice  was  published  in  our  county  paper, 
and  the  Rev.  Alexander  Clark  was  invited  to  preach  my 
funeral  sermon,  which  providential  circumstances  alone 
prevented. 


THE    GREAT   KAILKOAD  ADVENTURE.      205 

we  gained  a  complete  detail  of  tlie  movements 
of  our  army  since  we  had  left  it. 

One  of  the  hardest  things  we  had  to  endure 
was  the  rejoicing  that  accompanied  McClellan's 
flight  from  Kichmond.  Before  this  occurrence, 
the  secessionists  were  down-spirited  and  despair- 
ing ;  but  afterward  they  were  jubilant.  About 
the  last  of  May,  a  prominent  officer  said  to  me : 
"Any  other  officer  of  yours  but  McClellan, 
would  now  take  Kichmond,  for  we  have  not 
men  enough  at  present  to  offer  successful  resist- 
ance ;  but  he  will  fortify  each  step  of  his  way, 
and  lay  grand  plans,  and  thus  delay  until  we 
can  raise  men  enough  by  the  conscript  law  to 
defeat  him."  I  did  riot  then  think  that  his  pre- 
diction would  be  verified,  and  hoped  that 
McClellan  would  show  that  he  was  not  delaying 
for  nothing ;  but  when  I  heard  of  the  preci- 
pitate retreat  to  Harrison's  Landing,  I  was 
ready  to  confess  that  the  Confederate  officer  had 
been  more  penetrating  in  his  views  than  my- 
self. From  this  moment,  the  tide  of  victory 
seemed  to  set  to  the  southward  side,  with  a  still 
deeper  and  stronger  flow,  till  the  next  spring, 
when  it  returned  again. 

I  can  preserve  no  order  of  time  in  relating 
the  events  of  these  tedious  months,  which  slowly 
rolled  away  their  ponderous  length.  It  was 


206  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING ;    OK 

almost  a  perfect  isolation  from  the  world,  with 
little  hope  of  ever  again  mingling  in  its  busy 
throng.  As  each  month  closed,  we  were 
startled  by  the .  thought  we  were  still  alive — 
that  the  bolt  had  not  yet  descended — and  we 
surmised  and  wondered  how  much  longer  it 
could  be  delayed.  At  last  a  small  ray  of  hope 
began  to  arise — very  feeble  at  first — based  on 
the  long  and  incomprehensible  reprieve  we  were 
enjoying.  As  week  after  week  glided  tediously 
away,  marked  only  by  the  monotony  which  is 
more  wearying  to  heart  and  frame  than  the 
most  severe  anguish,  this  hope  grew  stronger ; 
yet  still  so  little  assured  that  the  most  trifling 
circumstance,  such  as  strengthening  the  guard, 
or  a  visit  from  the  officers,  was  sufficient  to 
blast  the  hopes  we  were  beginning  so  fondly  to 
cherish. 

I  saw  many  instances  of  the  iron  rule  with 
which  the  Southern  Union  men  are  kept  in  sub- 
jection. The  strictest  espionage  was  maintained 
through  every  order  of  society.  The  spies  of  the 
government  would  pretend  to  be  Union  men,  and 
thus  worm  themselves  into  loyal  societies  ;  and 
when  they  had  learned  the  names  of  the  mem- 
bers, would  denounce  them  to  the  govern- 
ment. It  was  not  necessary  to  be  particular 
about  truth,  as  the  suspicion  of  guilt,  in  their 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.       207 

mode  of  procedure,  was  just  as  good  as  its  posi- 
tive evidence.  One  day  seventy  men  and  twelve 
women  were  arrested,  and  sent  in  irons  to  Rich- 
mond !  Many  other  instances  of  this  remorse- 
less tyranny  will  be  given  hereafter. 

Most  of  our  boys  were  tobacco- chewers,  and 
were  driven  to  numberless  expedients  to  obtain 
that  which  some  of  them  declared  they  valued 
more  than  their  daily  food.  There  were  several 
articles  of  which  the  rebels  had  not  seen  fit  to 
rob  us,  such  as  handkerchiefs  and  a  few  vests ; 
These  were  now  sold  to  the  surrounding  guards. 
Andrews  had  given  Hawkins  a  very  large,  fine 
coat,  and  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  prospect  of 
taking  it  home,  he  sold  it  to  the  jailor,  and  in- 
vested the  proceeds  in  tobacco,  apples,  &c., 
which  he  generously  divided  among  his  com- 
rades. 

I  wanted  books  more  than  anything  else,  and 
sold  my  vest  and  a  pocket-book  the  rebels  had 
left  when  they  took  what  was  in  it,  and  bought 
three  books — all  gems — "  Paradise  Lost,"  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress,"  and  "  Pollock's  Course  of 
Time."  These  I  nearly  committed  to  memory. 
It  was  a  profitable  employment,  while  I  am 
sure  it  very  much  lightened  and  shortened 
these  interminable  days. 


208  DARING   AND   SUFFERING  ;    OR 


CHAPTEE    XIII. 

Contemplated  Escape — Startling  Intelligence — Our  Doom 
Pronounced  from  Richmond — Hesitate  no  Longer — Our 
Plan — All  Ready — Supper — Farewell — Life  or  Death — 
Seize  the  Jailor — Guns  Wrested  from  Guards — Alarm 
Given — Scaling  the  Wall — Guards  Fire — Terrible  Chase 
— Six  Recaptured — Wood  and  Wilson  Reach  the  Gulf — 
Dorsey's  Narrative — Porter's  Account — Boasting  of  the 
Guards — Barlow's  Cruel  Death. 

WE  frequently  talked  and  plotted  about 
making  our  escape.  All  agreed,  that  if  they 
should  proceed  to  try  us,  we  should  make  one 
desperate  effort  for  life  ;  for  we  had  learned  by 
sad  experience,  that  they  did  not  take  the 
trouble  of  going  to  the  formality  of  a  trial 
unless  they  were  fully  resolved  to  hang  the  ac- 
cused. But  as  time  rolled  on,  and  the  dreaded 
preparations  for  trial  were  not  made,  the  impris- 
onment became  daily  more  unendurable.  The 
food  was  of  a  poorer  quality,  and  more  scanty 
at  that.  It  was,  therefore,  proposed  that  we 
should  make  a  bold  strike  for  freedom.  The 
question  was  a  serious  one.  On  the  one  hand 
was  the  bright  prize  of  liberty — of  which  none 
ever  knew  the  value  better  than  we, — shining 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      209 

ahead  as  the  sure  reward  of  success.  But  on 
the  other  hand  was  the  danger  of  failure.  "We" 
were  in  the  very  center  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
the  nearest  point  where  we  could  reach  our  lines 
was  two  hundred  miles  distant.  This  journey 
had  to  be  made  through  the  enemy's  country, 
and  by  traveling  at  night,  with  no  guide  but 
the  stars,  which  the  envious  clouds  might  con- 
ceal from  us  for  many  successive  nights,  as  they 
had  done  before.  Then  there  was  the  proba- 
bility that  those  who  were  retaken  would  be 
mercilessly  dealt  with,  if  not  instantly  put  to 
death. 

It  was  a  grave  question.  And  then  the  great 
heat  of  the  days,  added  to  our  enfeebled  condi- 
tion, caused  by  the  close  confinement,  and  the 
meagre  character  of  our  diet,  as  well  as  the 
actual  sickness  of  some  of  our  party,  including 
myself,  induced  me  to  believe  that  the  attempt 
should  at  least  be  postponed.  Still,  day  by 
day,  we  discussed  the  subject.  It  afforded  us 
an  inexhaustible  theme  for  conversation,  and 
had  this  further  advantage  that  all  the  know- 
ledge possessed  by  the  party  collectively  was 
communicated  to  each  one.  Besides,  the  plans 
were  laid  by  which  to  avoid  pursuit,  and  all 
possible  information  respecting  the  country  ob- 
tained from  the  guards  and  negroes,  and  then 
14 


210  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING ;    OK 

we  felt  quite  prepared  for  trie  issue  when  it 
should  come. 

At  last  we  received  a  piece  of  intelligence 
which  made  us  resolve  to  hesitate  no  longer. 
Colonel  Lee,  Provost-Marshal,  came  to  our  room 
one  morning,  and  after  talking  some  time,  told 
us  that  he  had  just  received  a  letter  from  the 
Secretary  of  War,  asking  why  all  the  party  had 
not  been  executed.  He  had  answered  that  he 
did  not  know,  but  referred  him  to  the  court- 
martial  which  had  tried  our  comrades  at  Knox- 
ville.  This  court  had  dispersed  long  before, 
and  I  feel  hopeful  that  many  of  the  perjured 
villains  have  fallen  beneath  the  avenging  bullets 
of  Union  soldiers  !  So  the  Secretary  could  not 
have  obtained  much  information  from  them.  A 
few  days  after,  we  received  still  further  and  more 
alarming  information. 

One  of  the  regular  soldiers  in  the  adjoining 
room  overheard  the  officer  of  the  guard  telling 
the  jailor  that  Colonel  Lee  had  received  another 
letter  from  the  Secretary,  ordering  our  imme- 
diate execution.  This  was  duly  telegraphed  to 
us  through  the  stove-pipe,  and  at  once  put  an 
end  to  all  our  deliberations.  The  time  had 
come  for  us  to  save  ourselves  or  perish. 

Quietly  we  sat  down  and  arranged  our  plans. 
We  were  in  an  upper  story,  and  several  locked 


THE   GEE  AT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      211 

doors  had  to  be  opened  before  we  could  reach 
the  ground.  There  were  seven  guards  keeping 
watch  over  us,  and  a  large  force  near  by  ready 
to  rush  to  their  assistance  at  the  slightest  notice. 
It  was  evident  that  our  only  chance  of  success 
lay  in  moving  very  quickly  and  silently.  We 
could  not  leave  at  night,  for  then  all  the  doors 
were  closed,  and  we  had  no  means  of  opening 
them.  The  best  time  was  at  supper,  which  was 
brought  a  little  before  sundown,  and  by  starting 
then,  we  would  soon  have  the  cover  of  dark- 
ness to  conceal  our  flight.  The  soldiers  in  the 
next  room,  and  a  deserter  who  was  confined 
with  them,  agreed  to  go  with  us,  if  we  would 
open  their  door.  Only  one  of  the  Tennesseeans, 
named  Barlow,  would  risk  the  trial,  although 
they  were  anxious  for  the  movement  before  it 
was  seriously  contemplated. 

The  plan  on  which  we  finally  settled,  was  to 
seize  the  jailor  when  he  came  to  take  out  the 
buckets  in  which  our  supper  was  brought, 
holding  him  so  that  he  could  make  no 
noise,  take  the  keys  from  him,  and  let  Buf- 
fum  unlock  the  doors  and  release  the  remaining 
prisoners.  While  this  was  being  done,  our 
other  boys  would  divide  into  two  squads, 
and,  cautiously  descending  the  stairway,  pounce 
upon  the  guards,  and  take  their  guns  from 


212  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

them ;  then,  at  a  signal,  we  would  all  come 
down,  and  march,  thus  armed,  on  our  home- 
ward journey.  We  very  nearly  succeeded  in 
our  programme. 

The  second  day  after  receiving  the  news,  all 
our  plans  were  completed.  We  had  patched 
our  clothes  as  best  we  could,  and  made  cloth 
moccasins  to  protect  our  feet,  for  many  of  our 
shoes  were  altogether  worn  out.  Now  we  only 
awaited  the  approach  of  the  appointed  hour. 
Slowly  the  sun  rolled  down  the  west ;  slowly 
the  shadows  lengthened  in  the  east,  till  the 
gloomy  shade  of  the  jail  had  nearly  reached  the 
crest  of  the  hill  which  usually  marked  our  sup- 
per time.  The  eventful  hour  drew  nigh.  We 
bade  one  another  a  solemn  farewell,  for  we 
knew  not  when  we  should  meet  again  on  earth, 
or  how  many  of  us  might  be  cold  and  lifeless 
before  the  stars  shone  out.  Captain  Fry,  who 
was  tender-hearted  as  a  child,  wept  at  the  part- 
ing. He  had  two  coats,  and,  as  he  could  not 
take  both  with  him,  he  gave  one  to  me.  I 
needed  it  extremely,  for  I  was.  very  nearly  des- 
titute of  clothing. 

Everything  was  now  in  readiness.  I  had 
piled  up  the  books  of  the  minister,  some  of 
which  we  still  retained,  in  the  corner,  and  had 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      213 

written  him  a  note  thanking  him  for  the  use  of 
them.  We  had  on  our  coats,  and  had  a  few 
canes,  and  bottles,  and  pieces  of  lath,  taken  out 
of  the  wall,  which  were  to  be  used  in  the  fight 
down  stairs,  if  necessary.  Then  came  the  supper. 
It  was  brought  in  by  negroes,  the  jailor  stand- 
ing at  the  door.  Our  preparations  for  leaving 
were  not  noticed.  We  ate  in  silence,  stowing 
part  of  the  bread  in  our  pockets  for  future 
emergencies.  It  so  happened  that  the  old 
watchman,  whom  everybody  hated,  was  away. 
It  was  well  for  him,  as  he  would  have  received 
little  mercy. 

After  the  jailor  had  given  their  food  to  the  in- 
mates of  the  other  rooms,  he  came  back  to  ours. 
We  asked  him  to  let  Barlow  come  over  and 
stay  with  us  that  night.  He  consented,  and 
soon  Barlow  was  with  us.  Now  was  the  time 
for  action. 

It  was  a  thrilling  moment !  On  the  action 
of  the  next  few  minutes  hung  the  issues,  proba- 
bly, of  life  or  death.  I  confess  that  for  one 
moment  the  blood  flowed  to  my  heart  with  a 
sharp  throb  of  pain.  The  others  were  pale,  but 
determined.  As  for  Captain  Fry,  who  was  to 
initiate  the  movement,  and  whom  I  had  seen 
weeping  a  few  minutes  before — he  was  perfectly 
calm,  and  his  face  wore  a  pleasant  smile.  He 


214  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;    OR 

stepped  out  of  the  door  as  if  it  was  the  most 
natural  action  in  the  world,  and  said,  very 
quietly : 

"  A  pleasant  evening,  Mr.  Turner." 

"Yes,  rather  pleasant,"  responded  the  latter, 
looking  as  if  he  could  not  understand  what  Fry 
was  put  there  for. 

"  We  feel  like  taking  a  little  walk  this  eve- 
ning," continued  the  captain. 

The  astonishment  of  the  jailor  now  knew  no 
bounds.  "What!  How!  WHERE!"  he  ex- 
claimed, in  broken  ejaculations. 

Fry's  countenance  grew  darker  as  he  clasped 
the  old  man  in  his  arms,  and  said : 

"  We  have  stayed  as  long  as  we  can  stand  it, 
and  we  now  are  going  to  leave,  and  let  out  the 
other  prisoners ;  so  give  up  the  keys,  and  make 
no  noise,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you !" 

Turner  tightened  his  grasp  on  the  keys  des- 
perately, and  exclaimed,  "  You  can't  do  that !" 
then  commenced  in  a  loud  tone,  "Guar" — when 
my  hand  closed  across  his  mouth  and  stifled  the 
incipient  call  for  help. 

It  was  not  our  intention  to  hurt  the  old  man, 
for  he  had  been  kind  to  us ;  but  it  was  neces- 
sary to  keep  him  quiet.  He  possessed  great 
strength,  and  struggled  very  hard,  managing  to 
bite  my  finger ;  but  we  held  him  fast,  and  easily 


I 

— 
» 

a 


s. 

r 

I 

•5 


THE   GREAT    RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      215 

wrestled  the  keys  from  him.  BufFum  was  soon 
at  work  on  the  locks  of  the  doors. 

Meantime,  our  companions  had  quietly  de- 
scended the  stairway,  and  burst  out  on  the 
guards.  There  were  seven  of  them,  but  they 
were  so  much  taken  by  surprise  as  to  be  inca- 
pable of  resistance.  Our  boys  divided  into  two 
parties,  one  for  the  front  and  the  other  for  the 
back  door.  The  latter  was  completely  success- 
ful, capturing  the  guard,  and  taking  their  guns 
from  them  without  the  least  alarm  being  given. 

The  attack  at  the  front  door  was  made  with 
equal  skill  and  bravery,  and  the  guards  who 
stood  near  were  at  once  secured.  Unfortunately 
there  were  two  in  the  yard  gate,  which  happened 
to  be  open.  As  soon  as  these  saw  the  charge 
made,  they,  without  waiting  to  attempt  resist- 
ance, ran  through  the  gate,  shrieking,  "Help! 
murder !"  in  tones  that  aroused  the  whole 
neighborhood.  There  were  troops  near  at 
hand,  who  instantly  rushed  to  the  rescue. 

Our  boys  saw  their  peril,  and  knew  that  the 
part  of  our  scheme  which  provided  for  a  regu- 
lar and  quiet  departure  was  defeated,  and  they 
endeavored  to  save  themselves.  They  threw 
away  the  guns,  which  now  would  only  hinder 
their  flight,  and  scaled  the  wall,  some  ten  feet 
in  hight,  and  made  for  the  woods,  nearly  a  mile 


216  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

distant.  It  was-  a  close  chase.  Several  times 
they  were  fired  on  by  the  pursuing  rebels,  but 
fortunately  not  hit. 

We,  who  were  above,  heard  the  noise,  and 
were  admonished  by  it  to  take  our  leave  as 
soon  as  possible.  Buffurn  had  just  succeeded 
in  unlocking  the  door  that  kept  in  our  other 
soldiers,  who  at  once  came  out.  The  deserter 
confined  with  them,  who  was  the  most  powerful 
and  active  of  the  whole  party,  also  broke  out, 
and  passed  by  where  Fry  and  myself  still  held 
the  jailor,  like  a  tiger  on  the  leap.  When  he 
reached  the  yard,  he  found  two  soldiers  before 
him,  with  their  bayonets  at  a  charge.  Without 
a  moment's  hesitation,  he  seized  them,  cutting 
his  hands  severely,  but  dashing  them  aside 
with  such  violence  as  nearly  to  throw  the  rebels 
from  their  feet,  and  bounded  on  his  way.  His 
almost  incredible  swiftness  soon  placed  him  in 
advance  of  all  the  fugitives. 

Captain  Fry  and  I  started  down  stairs 
together.  He  was  a  little  in  advance,  and  at 
once  saw  there  was  no  chance  in  the  front  yard, 
which  was  now  filled  with  armed  rebels,  and 
darted  to  the  back  door.  Here  he  scaled  the 
wall  just  in  time  to  get  away,  after  a  most  de's- 
perate  chase,  being  repeatedly  fired  upon  by 


THE  'GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      217 

the  guards,  who  were  only  a  few  feet  from  him, 
but,  fortunately,  was  unharmed. 

I  did  not  so  soon  comprehend  the  state  of 
affairs,  (probably  because  I  am  near-sighted,) 
and  rushed  to  the  front  yard.  Here  I  saw  two 
rebels  who  seemed  perfectly  distracted,  and 
were  throwing  their  guns  wildly  about  and 
exclaiming:  "What  shall  we  do?  0!  what 
shall  we  do?"  Not  thinking  them  very  dan- 
gerous, I  darted  past  them,  but  was  checked 
by  a  stream  of  less  frightened  guards  pouring 
through  the  gate.  Seeing  then  that  there  was 
no  chance  of  escape  in  that  direction,  I  turned 
and  regained  the  jail.  One  man  snapped  his 
gun  at  me,  but,  fortunately,  it  did  not  go  off. 
I  instantly  tried  the  back  yard,  and  succeeded 
in  getting  to  the  top  of  the  wall;  but  here  I 
found  that  the  rebels  had  again  been  too  fast 
for  me,  and  were  around  under  the  wall  out- 
side. Under  these  circumstances,  I  could  do 
no  better  than  surrender. 

I  was  taken  back  to  prison,  and  instead  of 
going  to  my  own  room,  went  to  that  occupied 
by  the  prisoners  of  war,  who  had  all  been  re- 
captured and  put  in  again.  Buffum,  too,  who 
had  managed  to  get  over  the  wall,  was  retaken 
and  brought  back.  Parrott  and  Eeddick  were 


218  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OB 

captured  inside  of  the  wall,  and  Mason  and  Ben- 
singer  the  next  day,  making  six  of  our  party 
who  were  retaken. 

From  the  window  where  I  was,  I  had  a  good 
view  of  all  the  proceedings  below.  In  a  very 
short  time,  the  whole  forc^  of  the  place,  includ- 
ing a  regiment  of  cavalry,  was  drawn  up  in 
front  of  the  jail.  I  heard  Colonel  Lee,  (the 
Provost-Marshal,)  give  his  orders.  He  said : 
"  Don't  take  one  of  the  villains  alive  !  Shoot 
them  down,  and  let  them  lie  in  the  woods  for 
the  birds  and  hogs  to  eat  1"  He  also  ordered 
pickets  to  be  placed  at  the  ferries  of  the  Chatta- 
hoochie,  along  the  railroad,  and-  at  all  cross- 
roads. This  arrangement  pleased  me,  for  these 
were  the  very  places  we  had  agreed  to  avoid, 
and  I  was  sure  none  of  the  boys  would  be 
caught  there.  Our  intention  had  been  to  travel 
in  the  night  time,  through  the  woods,  and  cross 
the  rivers  on  logs,  as  far  from  the  ferries  as 
possible. 

Eight  escaped.  Wood  and  Wilson  traveled 
southward,  and,  after  passing  through  a  series 
of  the  most  startling  adventures,  that  recall  the 
old  Indian  tales  we  have  all  listened  to  in  the 
winter  evenings,  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
Gulf,  where  they  were  taken  on  board  a  United 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      219 

States  ship,  and  brought  around  to  Wash- 
ington. 

Porter  and  Wollam  started  westward.  Their 
journey  was  a  most  perilous  one.  I  will  insert 
a  short  account  which  Porter  has  since  fur- 
nished me. 

"  We  started  on  the  16th  of  October,  and 
reached  the  Federal  lines  on  the  18th  of  No- 
vember. During  this  time,  we  endured  all  the 
hardships  imaginable.  We  traveled  night  and 
day,  sleeping  mostly  in  the  woods,  and  subsist- 
ing on  wild  grapes,  chestnuts,  hickory-nuts, 
walnuts,  and  some  few  sweet  potatoes.  Occa- 
sionally, we  got  a  little  corn-bread  from  the 
poor  class  of  whites  and  the  negroes.  It  was 
miserable  stuff.  Several  times  we  slipped  into 
the  fields  where  the  negroes  were  at  work,  and 
stole  the  provisions  they  had  brought  out  for 
their  dinner.  Once  we  were  seven  days  with- 
out a  bite  of  bread,  and  often  went  without  for 
two  or  three  days. 

"  We  suffered  much  with  cold,  for  our  clothes 
were  very  poor.  We  slept  but  twice  in  houses 
during  the  whole  journey.  One  night  we 
traveled  till  we  became  chilled  and  weary ;  it 
was  very  late,  and  we  were  nearly  frozen,  when 
we  fortunately  discovered  a  nest  of  hogs.  Im- 
mediately we  routed  them  up,  and,  lying  down 


220  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

in   the   warm   retreat  they  had  left,   slept  till 
morning ! 

"  Many  streams  were  in  our  way,  which  we 
were  obliged  to  wade,«or  float  across  on  logs. 
After  twenty-two  days  of  such  privations,  we 
reached  the  Tennessee  river,  twenty-seven 
miles  below  Bridgeport.  Here  we  pressed  a 
canoe  into  the  service,  and  started  down  the 
river.  We  would  run  the  canoe  at  night,  and 
hide  it  and  ourselves  in  the  day  time.  When 
we  arrived  at  the  head  of  the  Muscle  Shoals, 
.  we  were  compelled  to  abandon  our  canoe  on 
account  of  low  water,  and  make  a  circuit  of 
forty  miles  around.  When  we  reached  the  foot 
of  the  Shoals,  we  procured  a  skiff,  and  continued 
our  voyage  until  within  twelve  miles  of  Pitts- 
burg  Landing.  Here  we  left  the  river,  and 
striking  across  the  country  to  Corinth,  reached 
there  in  safety.  Thus,  after  six  months  of  suf- 
fering, we  were  once  more  under  the  glorious 
flag  of  the  free." 

These*  will  serve  as  specimens  of  what  the 

*  Hawkins  and  myself  associated,  and  made  good  our 
escape.  We  think  all  our  party  escaped  to  the  woods. 
Whether  any  were  afterward  caught  by  the  rebels,  we 
know  not.  We  traveled  by  starlight  for  more  than  three 
weeks.  After  twenty-one  days  of  fatigue  and  hunger — 
living  most  of  the  time  on  corn  or  persimmons — occasion- 


THE   GKEAT   RAILKOAD  ADVENTUKE.      221 

brave  boys  endured  in  the  truly  herculean  task  of 
penetrating  for  hundreds  of  miles — in  fact,  from 
the  very  center  of  the  Confederacy  to  its  cir- 
cumference— in  different  directions.  It  is  an 
achievement  I  can  not  look  upon  without  won- 
der, and  in  dangers  to  be  encountered,  and 
difficulties  to  be  overcome,  is  at  least  equal  to 
the  proudest  exploits  of  Park  or  Livingstone  ! 

All  night  long  the  guards  talked  over  their 
adventures.  Generally  they  praised  their  own 
bravery  to  the  skies,  but  occasionally  one  who 
had  arrived  since  the  affray,  would  suggest  that 
it  was  not  very  much  to  their  credit  to  let  un- 

ally  a  few  raw  sweet  potatoes  or  a  head  of  cabbage— dodg- 
ing the  rebel  pickets  and  cavalry,  climbing  mountains, 
dragging  through  brush,  and  wading  streams,  we  final- 
ly were  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  some  Union  men  in  the 
Cumberland  Mountains.  We  met  them,  three  in  number, 
in  the  woods,  and  asked  them  to  give  us  some  supper, 
stating  that  we  had  no  money,  but  we  belonged  to  the 
rebel  army,  had  been  sick  and  left  behind,  and  were  now 
on  our  way  to  rejoin  our  regiments.  They  refused  to  sup- 
ply our  wants,  and  finally  openly  declared  themselves  to 
be  Union  men.  When  we  became  satisfied  that  they 
were  all  right,  we  made  known  our  true  character,  and 
warmer  friends  were  never  met.  They  lodged  and  fed  us, 
then  piloted  us  to  another  Union  man  who  did  the  same, 
and  he  to  another ;  thus  we  were  passed  from  one  to  another 
till  we  arrived  at  Somerset,  Kentucky,  where  we  procured 
transportation  to  our  regiments. — Extract  from  an  Account 
published  by  D.  Jl.  Dorset). 


222  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

armed  men  snatch  their  guns  from  them ;  but 
these  hinted  slanders  were  always  received  with 
the  contempt  they  deserved,  and  the  work  of 
self-glorifying  went  on  I  One  wondered  at  the 
speed  of  the  Yankees,  who  had  been  kept  in 
prison  so  long ;  another  accounted  for  it  by 
saying  that  they  had  received  so  much  practice 
in  that  line,  in  all  the  battles  they  had  fought, 
that  it  was  no  wonder  if  they  were  fleet  of 
foot.  This  sally  was  received  with  prodigious 
applause. 

I  heard  some  confused  sounds  of  distress  from 
the  room  of  the  Tennesseeans,  and  on  inquiring 
what  was  the  matter,  learned  that  Barlow  had 
broken  his  ankle.  He  had  gone  down  into  the 
yard  with  off  party,  but  in  jumping  from  the 
wall,  had  received  this  very  serious  injury. 
Here  he  was  found  by  a  guard,  who  at  first 
threatened  to  shoot  him ;  but  on  being  persuaded 
not  to  do  that,  ordered  him  to  get  up  and  lead 
the  way  into  the  jail.  Barlow  tried  to  do  so, 
but  fell  down  again.  Then  this  inhuman  guard 
punched  him  with  the  bayonet,  and  made  him 
crawl,  in  all  the  agony  that  pain  could  produce, 
back  to  his  cell,  and  as  he  went,  kept  hurrying 
him  along  by  the  sharp  admonition  of  the 
bayonet !  When  here,  his  companions  asked 
for  surgical  aid  for  him,  but  the  Confederate 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      223 

authorities  refused  it,  saying  that  he  had  caused 
the  injury  himself,  and  that  they  rather  preferred 
that  it  should  kill  him  1  Their  wishes  were 
gratified.  For  months  he  lingered  on  in  the 
greatest  pain,  until,  finally,  the  leg  mortified,  and 
terminated  his  life.  He  was  quite  a  young  man 
— only  eighteen — and  had  just  been  married 
when  he  was  arrested.  Thus  died,  in  darkness 
and  dungeon,  one  other  East  Tennessee  martyr ! 


224  DARING  AND  SUFFERING  ;   OR 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Despair  and  Hope' — Bitten  Finger — Removed  to  Barracks 
— Greater  Comfort — Jack  Wells— Cruel  Punishment  of 
Tennesseeans — Story  of  a  Spy — Help  Him  to  Escape — 
Virtue  of  a  Coat — A  Practical  Joke — Unionism — Sweet 
Potatoes — Enlisting  in  Rebel  Army — Description  of  a 
Day — Happy  News — Start  for  Richmond — Not  Tied — 
Night  Journey — Varied  Incidents — Lynchburg — Rebel 
Audacity  Punished — Suffering  from  the  Cold — Arrival 
in  Richmond. 

ALL  night  long  I  lay  in  the  hammock  that 
one  of  the  regulars  had  swung  by  the  window, 
and  listened  Jo  the  boasting  below. 

"  Sadly  I  thought  of  the  morrow." 

I  had  little  doubt  now,  that  the  full  weight  of 
their  vengeance  would  fall  on  every  one  who 
had  been  recaptured.  And  then,  too,  was  the 
news  we  had  received,  and  which  had  induced 
us  to  make  our  desperate  effort  to  escape !  "We 
could  scarcely  hope  that  the  death  which  had  so 
long  stared  us  in  the  face  would  now  be  longer 
delayed.  And  such  a  death  1  No  vision  of 
glory  to  dazzle  the  sight,  and  hide  the  grim 
monster  from  view,  or  wreathe  him  in  flowers. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      225 


No  eye  of  friends  beholding  the  last  struggle, 
and  sure,  if  you  acted  well  your  part,  to  tell  it 
to  those  whose  love  and  praise  were  more  than 
life.  Nothing  but  ignominy  and  an  impene- 
trable darkness,  beyond  which  no  loving  eye 
might  ever  pierce !  But  even  as  the  cold  hor- 
ror of  the  scaffold  and  the  vision  .of  the  heartless^ 
jeering  crowd,  rose  once  more  freshly  before  me, 
I  looked  out  in  the  clear  night,  and  up  to  the 
shining  stars,  and  felt  that  I  had  one  Friend-^ 
that  He  who  dwelt  above  the  stars,  and  to  whom 
I  had  plighted  my  faith,  would  not  forsake  me, 
even  if  I  had  to  pass  through  the  very  "  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death."  With  the  thought 
came  a  still  and  heavenly  peace  once  more — a 
peace  that  visits  only  those  who  feel,  in  the 
midst  of  sorrow  and  fear,  that  there  is  a  blissful 
rest  beyond  the  night  bounding  life's  fleeting 
day ! 

The  next  morning,  the  jailor  put  me  in  the 
room  I  had  formerly  occupied,  with  the  remain- 
der ef  my  companions.  He  told  us  that  a  man 
had  put  his  hand  over  his  mouth,  and  nearly 
smothered  him,  but  added,  with  great  satisfac- 
tion: "I  bit  his  finger  terribly,  and  gave  the 
rascal  a  mark  he  will  carry  to  the  grave  with 
him."  However,  his  teeth  were  not  so  sharp 
as  he  thought,  and  he  only  managed  to  inflict  a 
15 

V 


226  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING:    OR 


slight  scratch.  He  had  no  suspicion  that  I  was 
the  person  to  whom  he  referred,  as  his  fright 
had  prevented  him  from  observing  anything. 
For  a  while,  he  was  rather  cross,  and  brought 
up  the  guards  when  he  came  to  feed  us;  but 
this  soon  wore  off. 

About  the  middle  of  the  day,  some  officers 
came,  and,  with  many  threats,  asked  us  which 
way  our  boys  intended  to  travel.  I  answered, 
"  I  heard  them  say  that  they  were  going  to  try 
to  get  to  our  lines,  and  that  traveling  in  any 
direction  would  bring  them  there,  for  our  men 
had  you  surrounded."  They  asked  no  more 
questions,  but  retired,  satisfied  that  there  was 
no  information  to  be  gained. 

Our  anticipations  of  worse  treatment  in  con- 
sequence of  our  attempted  escape  were  not  real- 
ized. Colonel  Lee  thought  the  jail  was  no 
longer  a  safe  place,  and  ordered  us  to  be  taken 
to  the  city  barracks.  Our  apartment  here  was 
far  more  pleasant  than  our  quarters  in  the  jail 
had  been.  It  was  large,  well  lighted,  and  pro- 
vided with  a  fire-place,  which  the  chilliness  of 
the  days  (it  was  now  in  October)  made  a  great 
acquisition.  It  also  commanded  a  view  of  one 
of  the  busiest  public  squares  of  Atlanta,  and  we 
would  sit  in  the  windows,  which  had  no  bars 
across  them,  and  watch  the  tide  of  human  life 


THE   GREAT   KAILKOAD   ADVENTUKE.      227 

that  flowed  before  us,  for  hours  at  a  time, 
with  an  interest  that  only  our  long  seclusion 
from  the  world  could  have  given. 

Jack  Wells,  the  commander  of  the  barracks, 
had  been  an  old  United  States  soldier.  Being 
thus  brought  up  under  a  more  honorable  sys- 
tem than  obtains  in  the  South  at  present,  he 
did  not  consider  it  derogatory  to  his  dignity  to 
treat  prisoners  kindly.  He  would  come  around 
to  our  room  and  talk  with  us  by  the  hour — 
telling  us  great  stories  of  his  adventures,  and 
receiving  as  great  in  return.  Most  of  the  time 
he  was  half  drunk,  and  very  frequently  did  not 
stop  at  the  half  way  point.  In  these  cases,  and 
when  he  was  in  a  communicative  mood,  he 
would  tell  us  that  he  did  not  care  a  cent  which 
side  whipped — that  he  only  held  his  present 
position  to  avoid  being  conscripted.  But  his 
masters  knew  him  to  be  such  a  faithful,  vigi- 
lant officer,  and  he  could  so  readily  control  the 
rude  mass  who  occupied  the  rebel  portion  of 
the  barracks,  that  they  readily  forgave  these 
little  slips  of  the  tongue.  We  passed  our  time 
while  here  more  pleasantly  than  at  any  other 
place  in  the  Confederacy  ;  yet  even  here,  our 
path  was  not  one  of  roses.  The  following  inci- 
dents will  prove  this : 

The   Tennesseeans   were   confined   with   us, 


228  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OK 

making  twenty  in  all.  Our  provisions,  which 
were  still  very  scanty,  were  handed  around  in  a 
tray.  Mr.  Pierce,  who  is  mentioned  before,  one 
time  conceived  his  allowance  to  be  too  small,  and 
threw  it  back  into  the  tray  again.  Not  a  word 
was  spoken  on  either  side ;  but  in  a  few  minutes 
the  guards  came  up,  and,  seizing  Pierce,  took 
him  out  of  the  room  into  the  cold  hall,  and 
tying  his  hands  before  his  knees,  with  a  stick 
inserted  across  under  his  knees  and  over  his 
arms,  in  the  way  that  soldiers  call  "  bucking," 
they  left  him  there  all  night.  This  indignity 
was  perpetrated  on  an  old  man  over  sixty  I 

One  of  the  guards  was  a  malicious  fellow, 
who  delighted  in  teasing  our  men  by  asking 
them  how  they  liked  being  shut  up  in  a  prison," 
"playing  checkers  with  their  noses  on  the 
windows,"  &c.  One  day,  when  he  was  talking 
as  usual,  a  Tennesseean,  named  Barker,  replied 
that  he  need  not  be  so  proud  of  it,  for  he  would 
some  time  have  to  work  like  a  slave,  in  the 
cotton-fields,  to  help  pay  the  expenses  of  the 
war.  The  guard  reported  this  treasonable 
remark  to  the  commander.  Poor  Barker  was 
seized  and  taken  to  the  punishment-room  up 
stairs,  and  there  suspended  by  the  heels  till  he 
fainted ;  then  let  down  until  he  revived,  then 
hung  up  again.  This  was  continued  till  they 


THE   GREAT  KAILROAD   ADVENTUKE.      229 

were  satisfied,  when  lie  was  taken  down,  and 
put  into  a  little,  dark  dungeon,  only  about  four 
feet  square,  and  there  kept  twenty-four  hours 
with  nothing  to  eat ! 

While  in  this  prison,  I  had  the  heartfelt  plea- 
sure of  helping  one  man  to  escape.  The  guards, 
and,  indeed,  all  the  poorer  class  of  Southerners, 
were  very  illiterate.  Out  of  twenty-six  who 
guarded  us,  only  two  or  three  could  write  at  all, 
and  these  not  enough  to  be  of  any  service. 
Wells  wrote  a  hand  that  nobody  but  himself 
could  read,  and  even  he  not  always.  Therefore 
he  often  came  for  the  prisoners  to  write  short 
articles  for  him.  On  one  of  these  occasions  I 
was  in  the  office,  which  was  just  by  our  room, 
and  equally  guarded,  writing  a  requisition  for 
provisions.  While  thus  engaged,  a  man, 
dressed  in  the  uniform  of  a  rebel  officer,  was 
brought  in  for  confinement  in  the  barracks. 
He  appeared  to  be  very  drunk,  but  remon- 
strated so  hard  against  being  put  into  the  room 
where  the  remainder  of  the  prisoners  were  kept, 
that  Wells  consented  to  let  him  stay  for  a  while 
in  his  offiee.  His  money  was  not  taken  from 
him,  for  Wells,  not  knowing  the  charge  against 
him,  believed  he  was  arrested  only  for  being 
drunk — an  offence  with  which  he  had  a  good 
deal  of  sympathy.  Wells  had  some  business  to 


230  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

attend  to,  and  went  out.  A  sergeant  was  with 
us,  but  he,  too,  soon  took  his  departure,  leaving 
us  alone.  I  was  busy  writing,  but,  looking  up, 
I  saw  the  stranger  approaching  me.  There 
was  no  trace  of  drunkenness  about  him.  I 
watched  his  movements  attentively.  Soon  he 
was  standing  by  me. 

"  You  are  a  prisoner  ?"  he  queried. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"One  they  call  engine- thie ves ?"  he  con- 
tinued. 

I  again  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

" I  know  you,"  said  he;  "  I  know  all  about 
you.  I  was  here  when  your  comrades  were 
hung.  Brave  men  they  were,  and  the  cruel 
-deed  will  yet  be  avenged.  I  am  not  afraid  to 
trust  you.  They  don't  yet  know  who  I  am, 
but  they  will  learn  to-morrow,  and  then,  if  I  am 
still  in  their  hands,  I  will  die,  for  I  am  a  spy 
from  the  Federal  army.  Can't  you  help  me  to 
escape  ?" 

I  was  astonished  at  this  revelation,  and 
for  a  moment  doubted  his  character,  think- 
ing that  his  aim  might  be  to  betray  me  for  a 
selfish  advantage.  I  put  a  few  hasty  questions 
to  him,  to  test  his  knowledge  of  the  Federal 
army.  The  answers  were  satisfactory,  and  seeing 


THE   GKEAT  KAILROAD  ADVENTUKE.      231 

nothing  but  truth,  in  his  clear  eye,  I  hesitated 
no  longer,  but  asked  : 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

He  answered :  "  Can't  you  write  me  a  pass, 
and  sign  the  commander's  name  to  it  ?" 

"  That,"  I  returned,  "  would  probably  be  de- 
tected ;  but  I  think  I  can  put  you  on  a  better 
plan.  Take  that  overcoat,"  pointing  to  one 
belonging  to  Wells,  and  lying  on  the  foot  of  a 
bed,  "  put  it  around  you,  and  just  walk  past  the 
guards  as  independently  as  though  you  owned 
the  entire  establishment.  It  is  now  nearly 
dark,  and  the  chances  are  that  you  will  not  be 
halted  by  the  guard  at  all." 

'•  A  good  idea,"  said  he,  "  I'll  try  it." 

At  once  folding  himself  in  the  coat,  he  bade 
me  an  affectionate  adieu.  Eagerly  I  sat  with 
beating  heart  in  the  deepening  twilight,  listening 
for  any  sound  that  might  betray  the  success  or 
failure  of  the  scheme ;  but  all  was  silence.  I 
have  since  learned  that  the  guard,  seeing  the 
familiar  coat,  supposed  that,  of  course,  its 
owner  was  in  it,  and  allowed  it  to  pass  unchal- 
lenged !  A  moment  after,  the  sergeant  came  in, 
and  I  instantly  engaged  him  in  conversation, 
inducing  him  to  tell  some  good  stories,  to  keep 
him  from  missing  my  companion,  and  to  allow 


232  DARING   AND  SUFFERING  ;    OR 

as  much  time  for  a  start  as  possible,  before  the 
inevitable  alarm  was  given.  I  succeeded  per- 
fectly for  some  five  minutes,  when  Wells  came 
in,  threw  an  uneasy  glance  around  the  room, 
and  at  once  exclaimed : 

"  Sergeant,  where  is  that  officer  ?" 

The  sergeant  protested  that  he  knew  nothing 
about  him ;  that  he  was  not  in  the  room  when 
he  entered. 

Wells  then  turned  to  me,  and  demanded: 

"•  Pittenger,  where's  that  officer  ?" 

"  What  officer  ?"  ' 

11  That  officer  I  put  in  here." 

"Oh!  that  drunken  fellow?" 

"  Yes ;  where  is  he  ?" 

rt  The  last  I  saw  of  him,  he  picked  up  his 
coat,  and  said  he  was  going  to  supper.* 

"  Going  to  supper,  was  he  !  Ho !  I  see  it ! 
Sergeant,  run  to  the  guards,  and  tell  them  if 
they  let  him  out,  I  will  have  every  one  of  tBem 
hung  up  by  the  heels." 

This  was  rather  a  useless  punishment,  consid- 
ering that  the  prisoner  was  already  far  away. 

But   the   sergeant   departed    to  muster   the 

*  I  do  not  pretend  to  justify  the  falsehoods  recorded  in 
this  book.  But  it  is  better  to  give  a  true  narrative,  and 
bear  the  censure  awarded  by  the  reader,  than  to  increase 
the  guilt  by  omitting  or  misrepresenting  facts. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.       233 

guards.  Shortly  after,  Wells,  who  had  resumed 
his  seat,  said  in  a  meditative  tone  : 

"  Had  he  a  coat  ?" 

<{  I  suppose  so,  sir,"  I  returned,  "  or  he  would 
not  have  taken  it." 

"  Where  did  he  get  it  ?" 

«  Off  the  foot  of  that  bed." 

Wells  sprang  to  his  feet  as  quickly  as  though 
he  had  been  galvanized,  kicking  over  the  chair 
on  which  he  had  been  sitting,  and  exclaimed : 

"  My  coat  I  sure  as !  worth  eighty  dol- 
lars !  The  villain !"  then  pressing  his  head 
between  his  hands,  sat  down  again,  but,  as  if 
thinking  better  of  it,  ejaculated,  "  Well,  if  that 
ain't  a  cool  joke  I"  and  burst  into  a  loud  laugh, 
which  ended  the  scene. 

There  are  some  facts  connected  with  the  Union 
sentiment  in  the  South,  which  I  would  like  to 
publish,  if  I  dared ;  but  I  cannot  do  it  in  full,  for 
it  might  be  the  means  of  exposing  persons  who 
befriended  us,  to  the  vengeance  of  the  tyrant 
rebels.  I  will  only  say  that  there  exists  in  At- 
lanta a  society  of  over  four  hundred  members,* 
who  are  still  devoted  to  the  cause  of  union  and 
liberty ;  who  endure  in  patient  faith  all  the  cruel 

*  My  impression  of  Southern  feeling  is  very  different 
from  Vallandigham's.  But  the  Union  men  were  my 
friends.  Were  they  his  ? 


234  BAKING  AND  SUFFERING ;   OR 

persecutions  heaped  on  them  by  the  slavery- 
loving  aristocrats  who  now  rule  their  beautiful 
land.  From  members  of  this  society  many 
prisoners  as  well  as  myself,  received  money  and 
other  needed  articles,  which  were  of  the  greatest 
value  to  us.  These  were  given  at  great  risk  to 
the  donors,  for  there  to  give  a  Union  soldier 
money  is  a  serious  criminal  offence.  One  man 
I  know  was  confined  for  four  months  on  the 
mere  suspicion  of  having  aided  the  Shiloh  pris- 
oners in  this  manner. 

Sweet  potatoes  were  very  abundant  in  At- 
lanta, and  with  the  money  Union  friends  sup- 
plied us,  we  bought  a  great  many,  roasting 
them  in  the  ashes  of  the  large  fire-place  that 
made  our  room  so  comfortable.  They  added 
materially  to  our  rations,  and  rendered  our 
living  here  more  tolerable.  In  fact,  had  it  not 
been  for  that  universal  Confederate  -  pest,  with 
which  all,  from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  seemed 
supplied — sometimes  termed  the  "  rebel  body 
guard" — and  from  which,  for  the  want  of  clean 
clothes,  no  exertions  of  ours  could  free  our- 
selves, we  might  have  passed  our  time  not  un- 
pleasantly. 

We  still  continued  our  devotions  in  the 
morning  and  evening,  and  trust  that  God 
blessed  them  to  us.  We  met  with  occasional 


THE   GEEAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      235 

hindrances.  Some  of  our  own  party  seemed  to 
consider  that  our  release  from  the  dark  cells  of 
a  criminal  prison  did  away  with  the  necessity 
of  continued  prayer.  The  Confederates  also 
annoyed  us  very  much  by  interruptions,  while 
thus  engaged  in  seeking  help  from  above.  On 
these  occasions,  Wells  was  our  friend.  He  de- 
clared that  he  could  not  stand  praying  him- 
self, and  so  invariably  stayed  away  ;  but  that  if 
it  did  us  any  good,  we  were  welcome  to  it,  and 
ought  not  to  be  disturbed.  The  opposition  we 
met  with  was  of  short  continuance.  As  soon 
as  they  found  us  firmly  resolved  on  our  own 
course,  they  c^d  as  all  cavilers  do  in  similar 
circumstances-^et  -us  alone.  Thus  even  there 
we  enjoyed  mauj^^easant  moments,  which  will 
ever  be  rememb^^B  ;&§  a  green  oasis  in  the 
parched  desert  of  ;pft^mo3ife. 

While  here,  the  Confederates  wanted  some 
of  us  to  enlist  in  their  army.  They  tried  par- 
ticularly hard  to  get  the  regulars,  Wells  de- 
claring that  he  would  rather  have  the  two,  than 
any  half  dozen  of  his  own  men.  They  pre- 
tended not  to  be  unfavorable  to  the  scheme, 
but  delayed  complying  with  it  for  a  time,  to 
see  what  the  ultimate  prospects  of  an  exchange 
might  be. 

The  cartel  of  exchange  had  been    agreed 


236  BAKING  AND  SUFFEKING  ;   OB, 

upon  long  before ;  yet  these  men,  who  had  no 
charge  against  them,  were  still  held.  They  be- 
lieved that  it  was  because  they  were  with  us, 
and  that  the  rebels  feared  to  let  them  go,  as 
they  would  most  certainly  convey  to  our  gov- 
ernment intelligence  as  to  our  whereabouts, 
condition,  and  treatment.  This  view  appeared 
still  more  probable,  when  I  learned,  since  re- 
turning to  Washington,  that  the  Confederate 
government  had  officially  denied  hanging  any 
of  the  party.  They  have  never  yet  acknow- 
ledged it. 

The  time  wore  wearily  away  here,  as  it  had 
done  before.  The  delay,  since  the  death  of  our 
friends,  had  now  been  so  long  extended,  that  we 
began  to  believe  that  our  liveffmight  be  spared. 
This  conviction  was  strengthened  as  the  months 
rolled  on. 

At  last  a  court-martial  was  convened — the 
first  since  the  ever- memorable  one  at  Knox- 
ville,  and  we  awaited  its  action  with  the  utmost 
anxiety.  A  week  of  sickening  suspense  passed 
by,  and  no  summons  came  for  us.  Then  the 
court  adjourned,  and  we  breathed  freer.  It 
now  seemed  probable  that  they  did  not  intend 
to  prosecute  the  feeble  remnant  of  our  party 
any  further ;  and,  passing  from  the  extreme  of 
despair  to  that  of  hope,  we  began  to  indulge 


THE   GEE  AT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      237 

once  more  the  blissful  expectation  of  being  per- 
mitted to  revisit  the  scenes  of  our  loved  North, 
and  stand  beneath  the  "old  flag,"  which  we 
honored  and  reverenced  as  the  embodiment  of 
liberty  with  law — the  emblem  of  the  highest 
national  life.  But  our  time  for  freedom  had 
not  yet  come. 

The  weeks  rolled  on.  Few  things  occurred 
worthy  of  note.  That  same  monotony  which 
makes  prison- life  so  dreary,  robs  it  of  interest 
when  recorded.  We  would  rise  in  the  morn- 
ing from  our  hard  bed,  and  wash  ourselves, 
pouring  the  water  upon  each  others'  hands,  and 
eat  our  scanty  breakfast ;  then  loll  listlessly 
around,  seeking  in  vain  for  anything  which 
might  relieve  the  almost  unendurable  tedium. 
"When  dinner  came,  which  was  of  the  same 
quality  as  the  breakfast,  we  would  eat  it,  and 
then  try  desperately  to  kill  time  until  dark, 
when  the  gas  was  lit — not  from  any  favor  to  us, 
but  that  the  guard  could  watch  us  from  the 
ever-open  door,  and  see  that  we  were  working 
no  plots  to  get  out. 

This  was  the  most  cheerful  hour  of  the  day, 
for  under  the  soft  inspiration  of  the  gaslight, 
conversation  flowed  more  freely,  and  all  the  in- 
cidents of  our  past  lives  were  rehearsed  to 
attentive  listeners.  To  vary  the  subject,  an 


238  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

argument  would  be  started  on  science,  politics, 
or  religion,  and  warmly  discussed.  When  the 
talk  would  flag,  which  was  frequently  not  till 
the  midnight  bells  were  striking  in  the  town,  we 
would  offer  up  our  devotions,  and  lie  down  to 
sleep,  and  often  to  indulge  in  the  most  delightful 
dreams  of  freedom,  friends,  and  home.  In  the 
morning  we  waked  again,  and  the  same  round 
was  recommenced.  Thus  days  glided  into 
weeks,  and  weeks  passed  into  months.  The  light 
golden  hues  of  autumn  deepened  into  the  dead 
and  sombre  colors  of  early  winter,  and  still  we 
were  in  Atlanta.  Our  weak  faith,  judging  what 
would  be  from  what  had  been,  could  scarcely 
conceive  that  we  would  ever  be  anywhere  else ! 
A  heavy,  dead  indifference,  like  the  lack  of 
sensibility  which  the  repeated  infliction  of  pain 
produces  in  our  physical  natures,  took  possession 
of  us.  We  almost  ceased  even  to  hope ! 

But  at  last  there  came  a  day  of  rejoicing.  A 
number  of  officers  visited  the  barracks,  and 
inquired  which  was  the  room  occupied  by  the 
Federal  prisoners.  On  being  shown  around  to 
our  apartment,  they  told  us  to  fall  into  line, 
and  then  said  they  had  glad  news  for  us. 

u  You  have  all  been  exchanged,  and  all  that 
now  remains  is  for  us  to  send  you  out  of  our 
territory." 


THE   GKEAT   RAILED  AD   ADVENTUEE.      239 

They  then  came  along  the  lines,  and  shook 
hands  with  us,  offering  congratulations  on  the 
happy  termination  of  our  trials,  and  wishing  us 
much  joy  on  our  arrival  at  home. 

Our  feelings  may  be  better  imagined  than  de- 
scribed. There  was  an  overwhelming  rush  of 
emotions  which  forbade  utterance — happy  joy — 
exhilarating,  and  yet  mingled  with  a  deep  touch 
of  sorrow,  that  our  seven  dead — murdered — 
comrades  were  not  with  us  to  share  the  joy  of 
this  unexpected  release.  And  the  eight  also  who 
had  managed  to  get  out  of  the  clutches  of  the 
rebels  by  their  own  daring — we  were  uneasy 
about  them.  Only  a  day  or  two  before,  we  had 
seen  in  an  Atlanta  paper,  obtained,  as  usual, 
through  a  contraband  source,  an  article  clipped 
from  the  "Cincinnati  Commercial,'1'1  giving  notice 
of  the  arrival  of  Porter  and  Wollam  at  Corinth, 
in  a  very  wretched  and  famished  condition.  This 
was  most  gratifying  to  us,  but  of  the  others  we 
had,  as  yet,  received  no  reliable  information. 
The  Provost-marshal  told  us  that  three  of  them 
had  been  shot  and  left  in  the  woods,  but  judging 
by  the  source,  we  considered  the  account  very 
doubtful,  and  still  cherished  the  hope  that  the 
whole  story  was  a  fabrication.*  Thus  we  were 
in  suspense  as  to  their  fate.  But  still,  beyond 
*  It  was  a  malicious  falsehood.  All  were  safe. 


240  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

all  this,  the  prospect  of  speedily  gaining  our 
liberty,  was  enough  to  make  our  hearts  over- 
flow with  gratitude  to  that  Being  who  had  so 
wonderfully  preserved  us  through  all  our  trials. 
I  was  so  agitated  that  when  Wells  asked  me  to 
write  a  requisition  for  provisions  for  our  jour- 
ney, I  could  not  do  it,  and  had  to  transfer  the 
task  to  more  steady  hands.  It  was  six  in  the 
morning  when  we  received  the  news,  and  we 
were  to  start  for  "  home — via  Eichmond" — at 
seven  in  the  evening.  We  spent  the  intervening 
time  in  arranging  what  clothes  we  had,  and 
preparing  for  the  journey.  And  as  the  time  for 
departure  drew  near,  we  again  lit  the  gas,  and 
built  a  fire,  the  ruddy  blaze  of  which  was  itself 
an  emblem  of  cheerfulness,  to  take  a  farewell 
view  of  the  room  in  which  we  had  spent  so 
many  not  altogether  unhappy  hours.  Often 
afterward  did  we  think  of  that  bright  hour  of 
expectation,  during  the  dreary  lapse  of  suc- 
ceeding months,  which  we  were  still  doomed  to 
pass  in  the  South. 

We  had  obtained  quite  a  number  of  pieces 
of  carpet,  which  served  as  blankets,  but  were 
forbidden  to  take  these  with  us,  being  told  that 
we  would  be  run  directly  through,  and  would 
soon  be  where  blankets  were  plenty.  We  how- 
ever managed  to  secrete  two  very  small  pieces, 


THE    GREAT    RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.       241 

which  were  afterwards  of  great  advantage 
to  us.  They  did  not  tie  us  now  for  the  first 
time  in  all  our  travels.  This  was  truly  remark- 
able, and  afforded  strong  confirmation  to  our 
hopes. 

» All  was  now  in  readiness  for  our  departure, 
and  we  took  a  long,  and,  I  trust,  a  last  look  at 
Atlanta — at  least  while  it  remains  in  rebel  pos- 
session. The  guards  fell  in  on  each  side  of  us, 
and  we  wended  our  silent  way  along  the  dark 
streets.  "Wells,  even  drunker  than  usual,  ac- 
companied us  to  the  cars,  where  he  hiccoughed 
an  affectionate  farewell.  White,  the  sergeant 
who  was  with  me  when  our  spy  escaped,  com- 
manded our  escort.  He  was  one  of  the  best- 
natured  rebels  I  ever  saw,  and,  like  his  supe- 
rior, did  not  care  which  side  came  out  best,  so 
king  as  he  was  not  hurt.  The  guard  was  only 
ten  in  number,  while  we,  including  the  Tennes- 
nesseeans,  were  twenty — a  great  falling  off  in 
precaution  from  their  former  custom. 

"We  were  crowded  into  rude  box-cars,  and 
soon  began  to  suffer  severely  with  the  cold,  for 
the  night  air  was  most  piercing.  It  was  the  3d 
of  December,  and  we  had  only  summer  cloth- 
ing, which  was,  in  addition,  very  ragged.  At 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  arrived 
16 


242  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

at  Dalton.  We  were  not  to  go  through  Chat- 
tanooga. 

The  stars  were  sparkling  in  light  and  frosty 
brilliancy  when  we  stopped.  The  other  train, 
on  which  we  were  to  continue  our  journey,  had 
not  yet  arrived,  and  the  keen  and  icy  wind  cut 
almost  through  us.  We  stood  shivering  here, 
and  suffering  extremely  from  the  cold,  for  some- 
thing like  an  hour,  when,  to  our  great  relief, 
the  expected  train  arrived.  We  were  more 
comfortably  fixed  in  it,  and  managed  to  doze 
away  the  time  till  daybreak. 

In  the  morning,  we  found  that  our  three  days 
rations,  which  were  to  last  us  to  Richmond, 
were  scarcely  enough  for  a  breakfast.  How- 
ever, we  ate  what  we  had,  and  trusted  to  buy- 
ing a  few  necessaries  with  the  remaining  money 
which  our  Union  friends  had  given  us.  When 
that  failed,  we  had  still  a  sure  resource  that 
never  failed — endurance  of  hunger. 

During  the  day,  we  discussed  the  question 
whether  it  would  not  be  best,  at  nightfall,  to 
try  making  our  escape,  as  we  were  within  forty 
miles  of  our  own  lines.  It  would  be  an  easy 
task.  The  guards  were  perfectly  careless,  and 
at  any  time  we  could  have  had  as  many  guns 
as  they  had.  They  sat  on  the  same  seats  with 
us,  and  slept.  Frequently  those  guarding  the 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      243 

doors  would  fall  asleep,  and  we  would  wake 
them  as  the  corporal  came  around,  thus  saving 
them  from  punishment.  The  most  complete 
security  seemed  to  pervade  them,  utterly  for- 
bidding the  idea  that  they  thought  they  were 
taking  us  onward  for  any  other  purpose  than 
that  of  exchange.  Once  the  sergeant  laugh- 
ingly told  us  that  we  could  escape  if  we  wished, 
for  we  had  the  matter  in  our  own  hands  ;  but 
that  he  thought  it  would  be  more  pleasant  to 
ride  on  around,  than  to  walk  across  on  our  own 
responsibility.  This  very  security  lulled  our 
suspicions,  and,  combined  with  what  the 
Marshal  and  other  officers  had  told  us  in  At- 
lanta, induced  us  to  shrink  from  undertaking  a 
journey,  almost  naked  and  barefoot  as  some  of 
us  were,  over  the  mountains  and  in  the  snow, 
which  now  began  to  appear. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  passed  the  town  of  Knox- 
ville,  now  a  place  of  loathing  and  hatred  to  us ; 
then  the  town  of  Greenville,  which  we  noticed 
as  being  the  residence  of  our  heroic  companion, 
Captain  Fry ;  then  on  into  the  lower  part  of 
Western  Yirginia.  It  was  nightfall  when  we 
entered  this  State,  and  a  beautiful  night  it  was. 
The  moon  shone  over  the  pale,  cold  hills 
with  a  mellow,  silver  radiance,  which  made 
the  whole  landscape  enchanting.  On,  on,  we 


244  DARING   AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

glided,  over  hill  and  plain,  at  the  dead  of 
night,  and  saw,  in  the  shifting  scenery  of  the 
unreal-looking  panorama  without,  a  represen- 
tation of  the  fleeting  visions  of  life — like  us, 
now  lost  in  some  dark,  gloomy  wood,  or  walled 
in  by  the  encroaching  mountain  side,  and  now 
catching  a  magnificent  view  of  undulating  land- 
scapes, far  away  in  the  shadowy  distance. 
Thus,  through  the  silent  night,  we  journeyed 
on,  and  morning  dawned  on  us,  still  steaming 
through  the  romantic  valleys  of  Virginia. 

The  next  day  was  a  wet,  dreary  one.  Our 
car  leaked,  our  fire  went  out,  and  we  were 
most  thoroughly  uncomfortable.  The  evening 
found  us  at  the  mountain  city  of  Lynchburg, 
which  is  literally  "  set  on  a  hill."  Here  we  dis- 
covered that  we  had  missed  the  connection,  and 
would  have  to  wait  for  twenty-four  hours.  We 
were  very  sorry  for  this,  as  we  were  in  a  great 
hurry  to  get  to  our  own  lines,  and  had  been 
talking  all  the  way  about  what  we  should  do 
when  we  arrived  at  Washington.  But  there  was 
no  help  for  it,  and  we  marched  up  to  the  bar- 
racks with  as  good  grace  as  possible. 

We  here  found  a  large,  empty -looking  room, 
with  some  of  the  refuse  of  the  Confederate  army 
in  it.  There  was  an  immense  stove  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  room,  but,  being  without  fire,  it  was 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      245 

of  no  particular  benefit.  We  resigned  our- 
selves to  another  night  of  freezing,  with  the 
consoling  thought  that  we  would  not  have 
many  more  of  such  to  endure.  I  paced  the 
floor  till  nearly  morning,  and  witnessed  a  good 
many  amusing  incidents.  Many  of  the  Con- 
federates were  quite  drunk,  and  disposed  to  be 
mischievous.  One  of  them  diverted  himself  by 
walking  about  on  the  forms  of  those  who 
were  trying  to  sleep.  Soon  he  came  around  to 
Bensinger.  He  endured  the  infliction  patiently 
the  first  time ;  but  as  the  sot  came  again,  Ben- 
singer  was  on  the  look-out,  and,  springing  to 
his  feet,  gave  him  a  blow  that  laid  him  out  on 
the  floor.  Some  of  his  companions  rushed 
forward  to  resent  the  infliction;  but,  finding 
that  nobody  was  frightened,  they  gave  over. 

Here,  in  Virginia,  I  met  the  most  spiteful 
and  venomous  secessionists  I  had  yet  seen. 

One  of  them — a  prisoner — said  that  he  had 
advocated  raising  the  black  flag,  asserting  that 
if  it  "had  been  done  at  first,  the  war  would 
have  been  over  long  since." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  I  replied ;  "  the  whole 
Southern  race  would  have  been  exterminated 
long  before  this." 

This  way  of  ending  the  war  had  not  entered 


246  BAKING  AND  SUFFERING;   OB 

his  mind,  and  he  became  very  indignant  at  the 
suggestion. 

All  the  next  day  was  cold  and  gloomy. 
After  noon,  we  succeeded  in  obtaining  some 
wood  for  the  big  stove,  with  permission  to 
make  a  fire  in  it,  which  was  soon  done,  and  a 
genial  glow  diffused  over  the  whole  room,  in 
time  to  warm  us  before  taking  our  departure 
for  Richmond. 

"We  started  a  while  before  dark,  seated  in 
good,  comfortable  cars — the  best  we  enjoyed  on 
the  route.  But  we  only  ran  a  short  distance 
to  a  junction,  where  we  were  again  to  change 
cars.  The  next  train  had  not  yet  arrived,  and 
we  built  a  large  fire,  as  it  still  continued  bitterly 
cold.  We  could  easily  have  escaped,  for  the 
passengers  mingled  with  us  around  the  fire, 
and  we  even  went  to  a  considerable  distance 
away  to  procure  fuel.  But  so  confident  were 
we  of  a  speedy  exchange,  that  we  did  not 
make  the  effort,  and  the  golden  opportunity 
passed  unimproved.  Oh !  how  greatly  we  after- 
ward regretted  that  we  had  not  at  least  made 
the  attempt.  Soon  the  other  train  arrived, 
and  a  few  hours  placed  us  in  Richmond — the 
goal  to  which  every  Union  soldier  is  turning 
his  eyes,  though  he  would  not  wish  to  reach  it 
in  the  manner  we  did. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      247 


CHAPTER    XT. 

The  City  by  Moonlight — Old  Accusation  Renewed — Libby 
Prison — Discomfort — A  Change— Citizens'  Department 
— Richmond  Breakfast — Removed  under  Guard — Castle 
Thunder— Miniature  Bedlam— Conceal  a  Knife — Con- 
fined in  a  Stall— Dreadful  Gloom— Routine  of  a  Day — 
Suffering  at  Night — Friends  Exchanged — Newspapers — 
Burnside — Pecuniary  Perplexities — Captain  Webster — 
Escape  Prevented — Try  Again  on  Christmas  Night — 
Betrayed — Fearful  Danger  Avoided. 

IT  was  still  the  same  sparkling  moonlight, 
and  the  same  intense  and  piercing  cold,  that 
marked  our  journey  the  preceding  night,  when 
we  left  the  cars,  and  entered  the  rebel  capital. 

Everything  looked  grim  and  silent  through 
the  frosty  air,  and  our  teeth  chattered  fast  and 
loud  as  we  walked  through  a  few  squares  of 
this  now  historic  city. 

But  suddenly  the  sergeant  recollected  that  he 
did  not  know  what  to  do  with  us,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  remain  where  we  were,  till  he  could 
find  the  Provost-Marshal's  office,  and  get  in- 
structions. We  endeavored  to  shelter  our- 
selves as  best  we  could  from  the  unbearable 
cold,  which  really  threatened  to  prove  fatal. 


248     DARING  AND  SUFFERING;  OR 

We  had  two  blankets,  or  rather  pieces  of 
carpet,  and  we  spread  them  over  the  heads  of 
us  all  as  we  huddled  together  in  a  solid  mass, 
in  the  angle  of  a  brick  wall.  It  was  astonish- 
ing how  much  more  comfortable  this  made  us 
— especially  in  the  inside  of  the  pack,  where  I 
happened  to  be.  Here  we  remained  shivering 
till  the  sergeant  returned.  He  had  found  the 
Provost-Marshal's  office,  and  proceeded  to  con- 
duct us  thither. 

We  marched  through  several  of  the  prin- 
cipal streets,  which,  but  for  the  moonlight, 
would  have  been  entirely  dark.  At  last  we 
arrived  at  the  office,  which,  to  add  to  our  dis- 
comfort, was  destitute  of  fire.  We  stood  in  the 
empty  room  looking  at  the  grim  portraits  of 
the  rebel  generals  that  stared  at  us  from  the 
walls,  until  the  Marshal  himself  entered.  He 
did  not  deign  to  speak  to  us,  but  opened  a 
sealed  letter  which  the  sergeant  handed  him, 
aad  read  that  ten  disloyal  Tennesseeans,  four 
prisoners  of  war,  and  six  engine-thieves,  were 
hereby  forwarded  to  Kichmond,  by  order  of 
General  Beauregard.  We  had  hoped  that  the 
title  of  thieves,  of  which  we  had  become  heart- 
ily tired,  would  now  be  left  behind;  but  it 
seemed  still  to  cling  to  us,  and  afforded  an  un- 
pleasant premonition  of  the  Confederacy's 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.    .249 

not  yet  being  done  with  us.  The  Marshal 
then  gave  his  orders,  and  we  were  again 
marched  off. 

By  this  time  it  was  daylight,  December  7th, 
1862.  Kichmond  looked  still  more  cheerless  by 
the  cold  beams  of  morning  than  it  did  before. 

We  now  threaded  several  tedious  streets,  and 
at  last  came  to  the  James  river,  where  we  halted 
in  front  of  a  most  Desolate-looking,  but  very 
large  brick  building,  situated  on  the  bank,  and 
surrounded  by  a  formidable  circle  of  guards. 
This  building  we  very  naturally  took  to  be  a 
prison,  and  soon  learned  that  we  were  right. 
It  was  the  famous  LIBBY.  "We  entered  its  pre- 
cincts, and  were  conducted  up  a  flight  of  stairs, 
and  -then,  on  reaching  the  upper  room,  which 
was  a  vast,  open  one,  we  saw,  almost  for  the 
first  time  since  our  capture,  the  old  familiar 
United  States  uniform.  We  were  soon  in  the 
midst  of  over  a  hundred  Union  soldiers. 

At  first  our  greeting  was  not  very  warm,  as 
we  still  wore  the  rebel  rags  that  had  served  us 
all  summer ;  but  as  soon  as  our  true  character 
and  history  were  made  known,  we  were  most 
cordially  welcomed.  There  was  a  small  stove — 
only  one — in  the  cold,  empty  room,  and  part  of 
the  inmates  were  huddled  around  it.  But  with 
the  characteristic  courtesy  and  charity  of  the 


250  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

American  soldier,  they  soon  cleared  a  place 
beside  it  for  us.  Then  I  had  leisure  to  look 
around. 

The  room  was  very  large  and  bare ;  the  floor 
above  was  taken  out,  leaving  it  open  to  the  roof. 
Beside  this,  the  window  sashes  were  all  removed, 
and  the  cold  wind  whistled  in  from  the  river  far 
more  sharply  than  was  consistent  with  comfort. 
The  inmates  informed  me  that  they  had  only  a 
limited  amount  of  fuel  allowed  them  per  day, 
and  when  that  was  exhausted,  they  had  to  en- 
dure the  freezing  as  best  they  could.  Even  when 
the  fire  was  burning,  only  about  a  dozen  could 
get  around  it,  and  the  room  was  too  large  and 
open  to  be  warmed  more  than  a  few  feet  from 
the  stove.  Yet,  with  all  these  discomforts,  we 
rejoiced  to  be  here.  It  was  the  sure  pledge  that 
our  foes  had  not  been  deceiving  us  in  their  pro- 
mises of  an  exchange,  for  these  men,  with  whom 
we  found  ourselves,  were  actually  going  north- 
ward in  the  next  truce-boat,  which  was  daily 
expected.  Our  hearts  beat  high  as  we  thought 
that,  after  drinking  the  bitter  draught  of  bond- 
age and  persecution  for  eight  long  months,  we 
were  at  last  to  taste  the  sweets  of  liberty.  What 
wonder  if  our  joy  was  too  deep  for  words,  and 
we  could  only  turn  it  over  in  our  minds,  and 
tremble  lest  it  should  prove  too  delightful  to  be 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      251 

realized !  What  cared  we  for  the  cold  that  made 
our  teeth  chatter,  and  sent  the  icy  chill  to  our 
very  bones !  It  was  only  for  the  moment,  and 
beyond  that  we  painted  the  bright  vision  of 
freedom,  with  such  vividness  and  warmth,  that 
cold  and  privations  were  forgotten  together. 
But  our  dream  was  short. 

We  talked  with  our  companions,  and  learned 
from  them  many  interesting  items  of  news.  The 
worst  we  heard,  and  which,  at  first,  we  could 
hardly  credit,  was  the  existence  of  a  large  party 
in  the  North  who  were  opposed  to  the  war ; 
because,  as  my  informant  said,  "  They  were 
afraid  if  the  thing  went  on,  they  would  be 
drafted,  and  would  have  to  fight  themselves." 
Oh !  how  bitterly  some  of  the  prisoners,  who 
were  profanely  inclined,  cursed  those  who  could 
oppose  their  government  in  such  a  time  as  this  ! 
Not  many  of  the  soldiers  sympathized  with 
these  traitors.  They  were  still  hopeful  of  suc- 
cess, and  confident  that  the  time  would  soon 
come  when  they  would  crush  rebellion. 

But  in  the  midst  of  our  conversation,  an  officer 
entered,  and  called  for  the  men  who  had  just 
been  admitted.  Expecting  to  be  paroled,  as  all 
the  other  prisoners  in  the  room  were,  we  at 
once  responded.  They  conducted  us  down  to 
th*  entrance  hall,  and  called  over  our  names. 


252  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

The  four  prisoners  of  war,  and  one  of  the  Ten- 
nesseeans,  were  put  on  one  side,  and  we  on  the 
other.  The  first  party  were  then  taken  up 
stairs  again,  while  we  were  put  into  an  im- 
mense, but  dark  and  low  room,  on  the  left  of 
the  stairway. 

This  was  an  awful  moment.  We  now  felt 
that  we  had  been  deceived,  and  our  hopes  at 
once  fell  from  the  highest  heaven,  to  which 
they  had  soared,  down  to  perfect  nothingness, 
and  a  cold  sense  of  misery  and  despair  came 
over  us.  To  be  thus  separated  from  our  friends, 
also,  seemed  like  parting  the  sheep  from  the 
goats,  and  could  only  be  for  the  purpose  of 
punishment!  No  wonder  that  we  looked  at 
each  other  with  pale,  troubled  countenances, 
and  asked  questions  which  none  were  prepared 
to  solve.  But  only  one  moment  were  we  thus 
crushed  beneath  this  unexpected  blow ;  the 
next,  we  again  sought  an  avenue  for  hope. 

Perhaps  they  did  not  recognize  us  as  soldiers, 
and  only  wanted  to  exchange  us  as  citizens — a 
matter  of  indifference  to  us,  provided  we  were 
exchanged  at  all.  We  looked  around  to  see 
what  foundation  there  might  be  for  this  pleas- 
ing conjecture. 

Our  present  apartment  contained  even  more 
prisoners  than  the  one  up-stairs.  They  were 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      253 

men  from  all  parts  of  the  South.  Some  of 
them  had  been  in  prison  ever  since  the  war 
"broke  out,  and  a  few  had  been  arrested  for  sup- 
posed anti-slavery  principles,  even  before  that 
event,  and  had  lived  in  loathsome  dungeons 
ever  since.  This  would  be  called  barbarous 
tyranny  if  it  occurred  in  Italy  ;  but  I  have  seen 
men,  even  in  my  own  Ohio,  who  could  see  no 
wrong  in  it  when  practiced  in  the  South,  on 
supposed  abolitionists.  There  were  also  some 
of  our  own  soldiers  here,  who  had  been  put  in 
for  attempting  to  escape.  This  survey  was  not 
calculated  to  increase  our  feeble  hopes  of  a 
speedy  exchange,  or  even  to  weaken  our  fears 
of  further  punishment. 

In  the  meantime,  breakfast  was  brought  in. 
It  consisted  of  a  small  quantity  of  thin  soup, 
and  a  very  scanty  allowance  of  bread.  To  our 
delight,  the  latter  was  made  of  flour,  instead  of 
corn  meal;  and  all  the  time  we  remained  in 
Kichmond,  we  received  good  bread,  though 
often  very  deficient  in  quantity. 

While  we  were  talking  with  our  new  room- 
mates, an  officer  again  entered,  and  inquired 
for  the  fifteen  men  who  had  last  come  in.  We 
answered  quickly,  for  hope  was  again  busy 
whispering  in  our  hearts,  and  suggesting  that 
there  had  been  some  mistake,  which  would  now 


254:  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

be  rectified,  and  we  taken  up  stairs  again.  But 
there  was  no  such  good  fortune  in  store  for  us. 
We  were  taken  out  of  doors,  and  there  found  a 
guard  waiting  to  remove  us  to  another  prison. 
Again  our  hearts  sank  within  us. 

We  crossed  the  street,  and  halted  at  a  deso- 
late-looking building,  which  we  afterward 
learned  was  "  CASTLE  THUNDER,"  the  far-famed 
Bastile  of  the  South.  We  were  conducted 
through  a  guarded  door  into  the  reception- 
room,  where  we  had  to  wait  for  some  time. 
While  here,  a  fierce-looking,  black- whiskered 
man,  who,  I  afterwards  learned,  was  Chillis,  the 
commissary  of  the  prison,  came  in,  and  said : 

"  Bridge  burners,  are  they !  They  ought  to 
be  hung,  every  man  of  them ;  and  so  ought 
every  man  that  does  anything  against  the  Con- 
federacy." Had  he  said  for,  I  would  have 
agreed  with  him  heartily. 

Soon  the  guide  returned,  and  ordered  us  to 
be  conducted  up  stairs.  Up  we  went,  passing 
by  a  room  filled  with  a  howling  and  yelling 
multitude,  who  made  such  an  outrageous  racket 
that  I  was  compelled  to  put  my  hands  to  my 
ears.  As  we  came  in  view,  a  score  of  voices 
screamed  with  all  the  energy  their  lungs  could 
give: 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      255 

"  Fresh  fish !  Fresh  fish !"  The  same  excla- 
mation greeted  every  new  arrival. 

We  were  taken  into  the  office  and  searched, 
to  see  if  we  possessed  anything  contraband,  or, 
in  plainer  terms,  anything  they  could  make 
useful  to  themselves.  They  took  some  nice 
pocket  knives  from  the  Tennesseeans,  which 
they  had  contrived  to  keep  secreted  till  now. 
When  it  came  my  turn,  I  managed  to  slip  a 
large  knife,  that  I  had  obtained  at  Atlanta, 
up  my  sleeve,  and  by  carefully  turning  my 
arm  when  they  felt  for  concealed  weapons,  suc- 
ceeded in  keeping  it  out  of  the  way. 

The  examination  over,  I  thought  they  were 
going  to  put  us  into  the  miniature  mad-house 
we  had  j  list  passed ;  and  they  did  not  do  much 
better,  for  they  put  us  into  a  stall  beside  it.  I 
call  it  a  stall,  for  the  word  describes  it  most 
fully.  It  was  one  of  a  range,  partitioned  off 
from  the  large  room  in  which  were  the  noisy 
miscreants,  and  from  each  other  by  loose  plank, 
with  cracks  wide  enough  to  let  the  wind  circu- 
late freely  through  them.  Most  of  the  windows 
of  the  large  room  were  out,  which  greatly 
increased  the  cold.  Our  stall  was  only  eight  or 
nine  feet  wide,  and  perhaps  sixteen  in  length. 
It  was  bare  of  any  furniture — not  even  having 
a  chair,  or  any  means  of  making  a  fire. 


256  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

In  this  cheerless  place  our  party,  six  in  num- 
ber, and  nine  Tennesseeans,  were  confined  during 
the  months  of  December  and  January  I 

The  first  day  of  our  imprisonment  here,  our 
spirits  sank  lower  than  they  had  ever  done 
before.  All  our  bright  hopes  were  dashed  to 
the  ground,  and  there  seemed  every  reason  to 
believe  that  we  were  doomed  to  this  dreary 
abode  for  the  remaining  term  of  the  war,  even 
if  we  escaped  sharing  with  our  murdered  friends 
the  horrors  of  a  Southern  scaffold.  It  was  too 
disheartening  for  philosophy,  and  that  day  was 
one  of  the  blackest  gloom.  We  seldom  spoke, 
and  when  we  did,  it  was  to  denounce  our  folly, 
in  suffering  ourselves  to  be  deluded  to  Eich- 
mond  by  the  lies  they  had  told,  and  not  seizing 
some  of  the  many  opportunities  our  journey 
afforded  for  making  our  escape.  But  it  was  no 
use  lamenting  ;  and  all  we  could  do  was  to  regis- 
ter a  solemn  vow  never  to  be  deceived  by  them 
again.  When  night  came,  we  knelt  in  prayer  to 
God,  and  if  I  ever  prayed  with  fervor,  it  was  in 
this  hour  of  disappointment  and  dread.  I  tried 
to  roll  all  my  cares  upon  the  Lord,  and  partly 
succeeded,  rising  from  my  knees  comforted,  and 
assured  that  whatever  might  be  the  issue,  we 
had  one  Friend  who  was  nigh  to  save,  and  had 
often  made  his  children  rejoice,  in  worse  situa- 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      257 

tions  than  ours.  The  next  morning  I  awoke 
again  cheerful,  and  felt  nerved  for  any  fate  that 
might  befall  me. 

Here  the  routine  of  prison  life  did  not  differ 
materially  from  that  at  Atlanta.  "We  had  to  go 
down  to  the  court  (the  building  was  square,  and 
built  with  an  open  court  in  the  center)  to  wash  in 
the  morning,  and  were  immediately,  taken  back 
to  our  stall,  and  locked  up.  But  the  principal 
difference  was  our  want  of  fire.  This  made  it 
our  greatest  difficulty  to  keep  warm,  and  effec- 
tually destroyed  all  those  pleasant  fireside  chats 
that  had  done  so  much  to  make  our  condition 
endurable  in  the  Atlanta  barracks. 

As  the  darkness  and  coldness  of  night  drew 
on,  we  were  compelled  to  pace  the  floor,  trying 
to  keep  warm ;  and  when  sleep  became  a  neces- 
sity, we  would  all  pile  down  in  a  huddle,  as 
pigs  sometimes  do,  and  spread  over  us  the  thin 
protection  of  our  two  bits  of  carpet.  Thus  we 
would  lie  until  too  cold  to  remain  longer,  and 
then  arise  and  resume  our  walk.  We  had 
always  plenty  of  light,  except  when  the  awk- 
wardness of  the  gas  managers  left  the  whole 
city  in  darkness,  which  was  frequently  the  case. 

We  never  omitted  our  devotions.  For  awhile 
the  deserters  outside,  who  were  composed  of 
the  very  scum  of  Southern  society,  many  of 
17 


258  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OB 

them  being  the  rowdies,  gamblers,  and  cut- 
throats of  the  large  cities,  tried  to  interrupt  us 
by  every  means  in  their  power;  but  finding 
that  their  efforts  produced  no  effect,  they  final- 
ly gave  over,  and  left  us  to  pursue  our  own 
way  in  peace.  We  found  afterward,  when,  for 
a  short  time,  we  were  put  among  them,  that 
they  respected  us  the  more  for  it.  Thus  it  will 
always  be  when  perseverance  is  exercised  in  a 
good  cause. 

A  few  days  after  our  arrival,  we  noticed  a 
great  stir  among  the  prisoners  at  the  Libby, 
which  was  plainly  in  view  across  the  road,  and 
but  a  short  distance  from  us.  We  learned  that 
a  truce-boat  had  arrived.  Soon  a  body  of 
United  States  soldiers  came  up  the  street  by 
us,  and  our  five  friends  with  them.  As  they 
passed  our  window,  they  waved  their  hands  in 
farewell,  and  continued  their  journey.  No 
doubt  they  were  soon  with  their  friends  at 
home.*  The  parting  was  a  hard  one  for  us. 
It  seemed  so  much  like  fulfilling  the  passage  of 
Scripture — "  One  shall  be  taken  and  the  other 
left,"  that  we  turned  away  from  the  window 

*  A  letter  was  received  from  one  of  them  by  my  father 
a  short  time  ago.  He  had  not  heard  of  our  release,  but 
described  our  parting,  and  gave  a  rumor  which  he  had 
heard  of  our  subsequent  execution. 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      259 

feeling  again  the  gloom  which  darkened  the 
first  day  of  our  arrival.  "We  felt  utterly  de- 
serted and  alone ;  yet  we  were  glad  that  some 
had  been  able  to  escape  from  the  power  of  this 
accursed  rebellion,  "  every  throb  of  whose  life 
is  a  crime  against  the  very  race  to  which  we 
belong." 

In  the  dead  sameness  which  now  settled 
down  again  over  our  prison-life,  we  had  a 
delightful  daily  oasis,  in  reading  the  news- 
papers. In  Eichmond  we  were  not,  as  else- 
where, debarred  their  perusal,  and  there  was 
always  some  one  who  had  money  enough  to 
buy  them,  and  then  charity  enough  to  lend 
them  all  over  the  prison.  In  this  way,  we 
were  enabled  to  see  most  of  the  dailies  pub- 
lished. As  soon  as  we  received  one,  all  the 
party  would  gather  around,  while  I  read  the 
news  and  editorials  aloud. 

The  time  of  our  arrival  was  an  exciting  one. 
Burnside  had  just  made  his  celebrated  advance, 
and  as  we  read  of  his  crossing  the  river,  we 
breathed  a  prayer  that  he  would  be  successful, 
and  continue  onward  to  Kichmond.  Had  he 
done  so,  we  would  either  have  fallen  into  his 
hands  or  been  removed.  In  the  latter  case,  we 
would  have  made  a  desperate  effort  to  escape, 


260  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

for  we  had  firmly  resolved  never  to  be  moved 
again  without  making  a  strike  for  freedom. 

But  soon  came  the  sad  news  of  his  repulse — 
sad  to  us,  but  causing  the  greatest  rejoicings 
among  the  rebels,  who  felt  that  they  had 
escaped  a  great  danger,  and  renewed  the  life 
of  their  tottering  treason. 

We  missed  the  books  we  were  no  longer  able 
to  borrow,  and  planned  all  kinds  of  means  to 
obtain  them.  Among  other  expedients,  I  man- 
aged to  sell  my  hat.  It  was  a  fine  one,  and  had 
formerly  belonged  to  Jack  Wells ;  but  one  day 
when  he  was  drunk  enough  to  be  in  a  clever 
humor,  he  took  mine,  which  was  a  very  poor 
one,  from  me,  and  put  his  own  on  my  head, 
saying  that  I  looked  better  in  that.  No  doubt 
he  intended  to  trade  back,  but  forgot  it  when 
we  started  away,  and  so  left  me  in  possession. 
I  sold  this  hat  for  three  dollars  and  a  half,  and 
bought  another  extremely  poor  one  for  half  a 
dollar,  leaving  me  three  dollars  of  available 
funds;  which,  added  to  five  more  afterward 
obtained  from  a  Union  man,  made  quite  a  for- 
tune. With  this  I  tried  to  procure  a  book  I 
wanted.  I  gave  the  money  to  the  corporal 
who  attended  the  prison,  but  he  kept  it  several 
days,  and  then  returned  it  to  me.  I  next  tried 
one  of  the  officers  of  the  prison,  but  met  with 


THE   GEE  AT  KAILKOAD  ADVENTURE.      261 

no  better  success.  Determined  not  to  be  baffled, 
I  dropped  the  money  through  a  crack  in  the 
floor  to  a  lady  prisoner  below,  who  was  allowed 
to  go  out  in  town,  but  in  a  few  days  she,  too, 
sent  it  back,  saying  that  the  book  was  not  in 
Eichmond. 

Still  persevering,  I  wrote  the  names  of 
several  books  on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  gave  it  to 
Chillis,  the  commissary,  who  wanted  us  hung 
when  we  first  came,  but  who  was,  nevertheless, 
the  kindest  official  of  the  prison ;  he  likewise 
returned  it,  saying  that  none  of  the  books 
named  were  to  be  found.  I  then  yielded,  and 
reserved  my  money  for  the  next  best  purpose 
to  which  it  could  be  applied — to  buy  bread, 
which  I  often  needed.  "We  could  at  first  get 
small  cakes  for  ten  cents  apiece ;  but  they  after- 
ward rose  to  fifteen.  "We  had  to  take  postage 
stamps  in  change,  and,  having  no  pocket-book 
to  carry  them  in,  they  would "  often  become 
torn  and  cracked,  which  rendered  them  worth- 
less. Thus  we  lost  a  considerable  portion  of 
our  precious  money. 

We  soon  became  very  restless  and  discon- 
tented here,  and  revolved  desperate  plans  of 
escape.  It  seemed  like  a  hopeless  prospect,  for 
we  were  in  the  third  story,  and  could  only 
escape  by  passing  at  each  door  through  suo 


262  DARING  AND  SUFFERING;   OR 

cessive  relays  of  guards,  all  of  which  had  a 
reserve  ready  to  cooperate  with  them  in  case 
of  alarm.  Our  room  was  next  to  the  jailor's 
office,  and  on  the  opposite  side  was  a  row  of 
rooms  containing  all  kinds  of  prisoners.  The 
one  next  to  us  was  occupied  by  a  number  of 
Federal  soldiers — some  charged  with  being 
spies,  and  others  with  murder. 

One  of  the  latter  was  Captain  Webster.  He 
was  a  young  and  most  handsome  man,  not  over 
twenty -two  years  of  age.  He  had,  on  one  oc- 
casion, been  sent  to  take  a  notorious  guerilla 
captain,  named  Simpson,  who  was  then  hiding 
within  our  lines.  When  he  was  found, 
Webster  summoned  him  to  surrender.  Instead 
of  doing  so  he  fired  his  pistol  and  started  to 
run;  but  Webster  also  fired,  and  mortally 
wounded  him. 

When  Webster  was  subsequently  taken 
prisoner,  he  was  held  for  the  murder  of  Simp- 
son, and  confined  in  the  room  next  to  us.  The 
charge  I  have  repeatedly  heard,  not  only  from 
himself  and  fellow  prisoners,  but  from  the 
officers  of  the  prison.  Judge  of  my  surprise, 
then,  on  reading,  since  my  return  home,  of  the 
hanging  of  Webster  for  violating  his  parole. 
This  being  a  charge  that  the  law  of  war  would 
visit  with  death,  the  Confederates  officially  lied 


THE   GEE  AT  KAILKOAD  ADVENTUKE.      263 

in  substituting  the  one  charge  for  the  other,  in 
order  to  justify  themselves,  and  prevent  retali- 
ation. 

Webster,  too,  was  tired  of  confinement,  and 
ready  to  risk  all  in  a  bold  strike  for  freedom. 
The  decision  was  soon  made,  and  Christmas 
evening  was  the  time  fixed  for  the  attempt. 
There  were  a  number  of  citizens  in  the  room 
below,  who  were  in  a  more  favorable  situation 
for  initiating  the  movement  than  we  were.  We 
had  opened  telegraphic  communication,  as  we 
had  done  before  at  Atlanta,  and  after  full  con- 
sultation, it  was  agreed  to  let  these  citizens 
give  the  signal.  This  was  to  be  the  cry  of 
fire,  and  when  it  was  heard,  we  were  all  to  rush 
upon  the  guards,  and  overpower  them.  There 
were  only  about  thirty  guards  in  the  building, 
and  we  had  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  con- 
cerned in  the  plot.  We  were,  therefore,  sure 
of  success  if  every  one  performed  his  part — at 
least  in  getting  out  of  the  building,  which  was 
a  less  difficult  task  than  leaving  the  city. 

On  Christmas  eve  everything  was  in  readi- 
ness with  us,  and  most  anxiously  did  we  wait 
for  the  signal.  The  hours  rolled  slowly  on, 
and  midnight  passed,  but  no  signal  was  given. 
We  afterward  learned  that  the  citizens  below 
failed  in  courage  when  the  decisive  moment 


264  BAKING   AND   SUFFERING;    OB, 

came,  and  thus  defeated  a  plan  which  would,  in 
all  probability,  have  been  successful,  and  would 
have  startled  rebeldom  no  little  in  thus  bursting 
open  their  strongest  prison. 

The  next  night  we  resolved  to  try  once  more. 
And  that  no  faint-heartedness  might  now  inter- 
fere, we  appointed  Webster  our  leader,  knowing 
that  he  would  not  falter.  Again  we  prepared. 
The  locks  of  all  the  rooms  were  drawn  except 
our  own,  which  was  so  close  to  the  guard  that 
it  could  not  be  taken  off  without  great  danger 
of  discovery. 

Some  did  not  want  to  go,  but  were  very  kind  to 
those  of  us  who  did,  supplying  us  with  serviceable 
shoes,  and  taking  our  worn-out  ones  in  return. 
At  last  everything  being  in  readiness,  we  again 
waited  for  the  signal.  Those  in  our  room  were 
to  remain  quiet  till  it  was  given,  and  then  burst 
off  the  door,  which  was  a  light  one,  and  rush  on 
the  guard.  We  took  a  board  that  supported  the 
water-bucket,  and  four  of  us,  holding  it  as  a 
battering-ram,  did  not  doubt  our  ability  to  dash 
the  door  into  the  middle  of  the  large  room,  and 
seize  the  guard  before  he  could  make  up  his 
mind  as  to  the  nature  of  the  assault. 

The  other  small  rooms  were  soon  vacated, 
the  movement  being  concealed  from  the  obser- 
vation of  the  guard,  by  the  inmates  of  the  large 


THE   GREAT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.       265 

room,  into  which  all  the  others  opened,  standing 
up  around  the  doors. 

For  an  instant  all  was  silence.  We  lifted  up 
our  hearts  in  prayer  to  God,  that  He  would  be 
with  us,  and  preserve  us  through  the  coming 
strife,  and  if  consistent  with  His  high  will,  per- 
mit us  to  regain  our  liberty. 

What  can  cause  the  delay?  Minute  after 
minute  passes,  and  the  dead  silence  is  only 
broken  by  the  throbbing  of  our  own  hearts. 
We  stand  with  the  board  ready,  and  our  spirits 
eager  for  the  coming  contest,  which  shall  lead 
us  to  grapple,  with  naked  arms,  the  shining 
bayonets  of  the  guards.  We  do  not  doubt  the 
issue,  for  the  hope  of  liberty  inspires  us. 

But  now  we  see  our  friends  creeping  back  to 
their  rooms !  We  grind  our  teeth  with  rage 
and  chagrin,  but  soon  hear  the  explanation, 
which  makes  us  think  that  the  Lord  is  indeed 
watching  over  us. 

Just  as  oui;  leader  was  ready  to  give  the  sig- 
nal, a  friend  pressed  to  his  side,  and  informed 
him  that  we  were  betrayed,  and  that  an  extra 
guard  of  over  eighty  men  was  drawn  up  in  line 
before  the  door,  with  orders  to  shoot  down 
every  one  that  issued  from  it,  while  still  another 
detachment  was  ready  to  close  in  behind,  and 
make  an  indiscriminate  massacre.  Had  we 


266  DARING  AND  SUFFERING ;   OK 

attempted  to  carry  out  our  plan,  the  guard  would 
have  yielded  before  us  until  we  were  drawn 
into  the  trap,  and  then  they  hoped  to  make  such 
a  slaughter  as  would  be  a  perpetual  warning  to 
prison-breakers. 

When  I  first  heard  this  story,  I  thought  it 
the  invention  of  some  weak-nerved  individual 
who  feared  the  trial  and  the  danger  of  our 
scheme.  But  it  was  true.  The  next  day  the 
Richmond  papers  contained  a  full  expose  of  the 
whole  affair,  and  Captain  Alexander,  the  tyrant 
who  commanded  the  prison,  threatened  to  have 
every  one  engaged  in  it  tied  up  and  whipped. 
But  he  finally  concluded  not  to  do  so,  and  the 
excitement  passed  away. 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      267 


CHAPTEE   XYI. 

Letter  sent  Home — Alarming  Pestilence— Our  Quarters 
Changed— Rowdyism — Fairy  Stories — Judge  Baxter — 
Satanic  Strategy — Miller's  History — An  Exchange  with  a 
Dead  Man — Effect  of  Democratic  Victories — Attempt  to 
Make  us  Work — Digging  out  of  a  Cell — Worse  than  the 
Inquisition — Unexpected  Interference — List  from  "Yan- 
kee Land" — Clothing  Stolen — Paroled — A  Night  of  Joy — 
Torch-light  March— On  the  Cars—The  Boat— Reach 
Washington — Receive  Medals,  Money,  and  Promotion — 
Home. 

ALL  of  our  party  had  repeatedly  tried  to  send 
letters  home  to  let  our  friends  know  that  we  were 
still  alive,  but  hitherto  had  failed.  Now  we  had  a 
providential  opportunity.  Some  of  the  prisoners 
who  were  captured  at  the  battle  of  Murfrees- 
boro'  were  brought  to  Eichmond,  and  confined 
in  the  basement  of  our  building.  While  they 
remained,  I  wrote  a  note  with  a  pencil,  on  the 
fly-leaf  of  a  book,  and  when  taken  down  to 
wash  in  the  morning,  slipped  around  to  the 
door  of  the  Western  prisoners,  and  gave  it  to 
an  Irishman.  He  concealed  it  until  he  was  ex- 
changed, and  then  mailed  it  to  my  father.  It 
produced  a  great  sensation  among  my  friends, 
most  of  whom  had  long  since  given  me  up  for 


268  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

dead.  It  was  the  first  that  had  been  heard  of 
our  party  since  the  Atlanta  escape,  and  was  at 
once  published  in  my  county  paper,  and  copied 
in  many  others.  The  following  is  the  note : 

RICHMOND,  VA.,  January  6th,  1863. 

DEAR  FATHER — I  take  the  opportunity  of  writing  by  a 
paroled  prisoner,  to  let  you  know  that  I  am  well,  and 
doing  as  well  as  could  be  expected  under  the  circum- 
stances. I  have  seen  some  rather  hard  times,  but  the 
worst  is  past.  Our  lives  are  now  safe,  but  we  will  be 
kept  during  the  war,  unless  something  lucky  turns  up 
for  us.  There  are  six  of  our  original  railroad  party  here 
yet.  Seven  were  executed  in  June,  and  eight  escaped  in 
October. 

I  stand  the  imprisonment  pretty  well.  The  worst  of  it 
is  to  hear  of  our  men  getting  whipped  so  often.  I  hear 
all  the  news  here  ;  read  three  or  four  papers  a  day.  I 
even  know  that  Bingham  was  beat  in  the  last  election,  for 
which  I  am  very  sorry. 

The  price  of  everything  here  is  awful.  It  costs  thirty 
cents  to  send  a  letter.  This  will  account  for  my  not  writ- 
ing to  all  my  friends.  Give  my  sincere  love  to  them,  and 
tell  them  to  write  to  me. 

You  may  write  by  leaving  the  letter  unsealed,  putting 
in  nothing  that  will  offend  the  Secesh,  and  directing  to 
Castle  Thunder,  Richmond,  Virginia.  I  want  to  know  the 
private  news — how  many  of  my  friends  have  fallen. 
Also  tell  who  has  been  drafted  in  our  neighborhood,  who 
married,  and  who  like  to  be.  Also  if  you  have  a  gold 
dollar  at  hand,  slip  it  into  the  letter — not  more,  as  it 
might  tempt  the  Secesh  to  hook  it.  I  have  tried  to  send 
word  through  to  you  several  times  before,  but  there  is 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.       269 

now  a  better  chance  of  communicating  since  we  came  from 
Atlanta  to  Richmond.  Mother,  (here  referring  to  reli- 
gious experience.)  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
No  doubt  you  all  would  like  to  see  me  again,  but  let 
us  have  patience  ;  many  a  better  man  than  I  am  has  suf- 
fered more,  and  many  parents  are  mourning  for  their  chil- 
dren without  the  hope  of  seeing  them  again.  So  keep 
your  courage  up,  and  do  not  be  uneasy  about  me.  Write 
as  soon  as  you  can,  and  tell  all  my  friends  to  do  the  same. 

Ever  yours, 

WILLIAM  PITTENGER. 
To  THOMAS  PITTENGER, 

New  Somerset,  Jefferson  county,  Ohio. 

We  remained  in  this  prison,  reading  of  the 
victories  of  Southern  rebels,  and  the  doings  of 
Northern  traitors,  until  the  first  of  February. 
At  that  time  they  wanted  our  range  of  rooms  for 
a  hospital.  This  range  was  not  adapted  to  the 
purpose,  but  was  at  least  as  good  as  the  garret 
above,  where  all  who  went  were  sure  of  death. 

Disease  was  now  making  fearful  havoc. 
The  small-pox  prevailed  to  a  frightful  extent, 
and  the  whole  town  was  alarmed.  Men  were 
dying  around  us  every  day ;  none  of  our  party 
was  infected,  but  many  of  the  Tennesseeans 
were.  It  was  no  wonder  that  they  found  it 
necessary  to  extend  their  hospitals,  for  the 
treatment  we  received  was  well  calculated  to 
make  the  hardiest  men  sink  beneath  their 
trials.  But  these  fearful  ravages  of  pestilence 


270  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

did  at  least  the  good  of  securing  our  removal 
from  the  pen  in  which  we  had  been  confined. 
At  first  we  were  taken  to  the  bedlam  I  have 
described  before  ;  and  even  this  was  better  than 
the  loneliness  and  ennui  of  our  strict  confine- 
ment. 

It  seemed  like  freedom  by  contrast.  We 
now  had  a  fire  also — a  luxury  which  one  who 
has  been  freezing  for  two  months  knows  well 
how  to  appreciate.  It  is  true  it  did  not  warm 
half  the  people  around  it,  and  these  had  not  the 
courtesy  of  our  brethern  in  the  Libby  ;  yet  it 
was  a  great  thing  to  be  occasionally  warm. 

The  amusements  of  our  new  friends  were 
striking,  if  not  elegant.  When  a  dense  crowd 
would  gather  round  the  fire,  some  mischievous 
Irishman  would  cry  out,  "Char-rge,  me  boys;" 
and,  with  his  confederates,  rush  against  the 
mass,  knocking  men  in  all  directions,  upsetting 
pots,  skinning  elbows,  and  spoiling  tempers 
generally.  Fights  were  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and  it  only  needed  the  addition  of  intox- 
icating liquor  to  constitute  a  perfect  pande- 
monium. 

The  evenings  were  a  compensation.  After 
the  turmoil  of  the  day  was  over,  and  most 
of  those  who  had  blankets  had  retired  to 
rest,  a  party  of  the  worst  rowdies,  who  had 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      271 

been  annoying  us  all  day,  would  gather  around 
the  stove,  and  appear  in  a  new  character — that 
of  story-tellers.  I  have  spent  the  greater  part 
of  the  night  in  listening  to  them,  and  have 
heard  some  of  the  finest  fairy  tales,  and  most 
romantic  legends.  But  the  approach  of  day 
put  an  end  to  all  the  romantic  disposition  of 
my  companions,  and  left  them  ill  ruffians  as 
before. 

We  soon  wearied  of  this  perpetual  ferment, 
and  petitioned  to  be  put  below  in  the  room 
with  the  Union  men.  After  some  delay  it  was 
granted,  and  then  came  a  more  pleasant  part 
of  my  prison  life.  The  room  was  large,  but 
dark,  and  the  windows  not  only  secured  by 
crossing  bars,  but  woven  over  with  wires.  The 
refuse  tobacco-stems  of  the  manufactory  had 
been  thrown  in  this  room,  till  they  covered  the 
floor  to  a  depth  of  several  inches. 

But  to  compensate  for  these  disagreeable 
accompaniments  of  our  new  apartment,  it  had  a 
stove,  and  was  warm ;  so  that  the  terrible  suf- 
fering with  the  cold,  which  none  can  appreciate 
but  those  who  have  endured,  was  now  at  an 
end.  There  was  also  good  society  here — nearly 
a  hundred  Union  men  from  different  parts  of 
the  South — all  intensely  patriotic,  and  many  of 
them  possessing  great  intelligence.  In  talking 


272         BAKING  AND  SUFFERING;  OR 

with  these  men,  and  hearing  their  adventures 
and  opinions,  I  passed  many  a  pleasant  hour, 
and  gained  a  great  insight  into  the  views 
of  Southern  Unionists. 

One  of  these,  who  became  an  intimate  friend, 
was  a  Scotchman,  named  Miller.  When  the  war 
commenced,  he  was  residing  in  Texas,  and 
witnessed  the  manner  in  which  that  State  was 
precipitated  into  secession.  The  first  part  of 
the  plan  was  to  excite  rumors  of  a  contemplated 
slave  insurrection ;  then  the  conspirators  would 
place  poison  and  weapons  in  certain  localities, 
and  find  them,  as  if  by  accident.  This  was  con- 
tinued till  the  public  mind  was  in  a  perfect  fer- 
ment. The  next  step  was  to  take  some  slaves, 
and  whip  them  until  the  torture  made  them  con- 
fess their  own  guilt,  and  also  implicate  the  lead- 
ing opponents  of  secession.  This  was  enough. 
The  slaves  and  Unionists  were  hung  together  on 
the  nearest  tree,  and  all  opposition  to  the  nefa- 
rious schemes  brutally  crushed.  Thus  has 
slavery  furnished  the  means  of  paving  the  way 
to  treason  ! 

Miller  himself  was  taken,  and  after  narrowly 
escaping  the  fate  of  his  friends,  was  sent  east- 
ward to  be  tried  as  a  traitor.  He  twice  made 
his  escape,  once  traveling  over  two  hundred 
miles,  and  each  time,  when  captured,  telling  a 


THE   GEE  AT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      273 

different  story.  Finally,  he  represented  himself 
as  a  citizen  from  New  York.  "When  brought 
before  Judge  Baxter,  the  magistrate  of  Castle 
Thunder,  for  examination,  he  merely  said : 

"  I  told  you  all  about  my  case  before." 

The  judge,  who  was  considerably  intoxicated, 
thought  that  he  had  actually  been  examined 
before,  and  dismissed  him  without  farther  ques- 
tioning. He  was  brought  up  several  times  after 
that,  bat  always  gave  them  the  same  answer, 
thus  keeping  them  completely  deceived,  and 
was  at  length  exchanged. 

I  here  became  acquainted  with  a  young  man 
of  the  Potomac  army,  whom  I  shall  call  Char- 
lie. He  was  employed  to  go  near  Kichmond  to 
fire  a  bridge,  and  collect  important  information. 
While  executing  his  perilous  mission,  he  was 
captured,  with  papers  in  his  possession  fully 
proving  his  character  as  a  spy,  and  was  des- 
patched with  a  sergeant  as  escort,  toward  Kich- 
mond. While  on  the  way,  the  sergeant,  who 
was  fond  of  liquor,  got  a  chance  to  indulge,  and 
became  very  careless.  Charlie,  watching  his 
opportunity,  slipped  from  the  breast  pocket  of 
his  guard  the  packet  of  papers  containing  his 
charges,  with  the  directions  for  his  disposal,  and 
threw  them  into  a  pond  by  the  wayside. 

When  he  arrived  at  Kichmond,  the  authori- 
18 


274  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

ties  did  not  know  his  character,  and  put  him 
into  the  large  room  with  the  other  prisoners, 
instead  of  confining  him  separately.  "When  the 
evidence  against  him  arrived,  the  commanding 
officer  entered  with  a  guard,  and  inquired  for 
him.  Now  was  his  last  chance  for  life,  and  well 
was  it  improved !  It  so  happened  that  a  man 
had  died  in  the  prison  the  night  before,  and 
Charlie  at  once  responded  : 

"  0  !  that  fellow  died  last  night,"  and  pointed 
to  the  corpse. 

"Died,  has  he!  the  rascal!  We'd  'a  hung 
him  this  week,  and  saved  him  the  trouble  if  he'd 
only  held  on !"  growled  the  officer,  and  departed. 

Charlie  was  shortly  after  exchanged  under  the 
de-ad  man's  name  ! 

Just  when  the  discouragement  of  all  lovers 
of  their  country  was  the  greatest,  resulting  from 
the  news  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  peace 
party  in  the  North,  a  Tennessee  Congressman 
visited  our  prison.  He  gathered  the  Tennes- 
seeans  around  him,  and  urged  them  to  return 
to  their  allegiance ;  stating  that  the  Union  cause 
was  now  hopeless,  as  it  was  abandoned  even  by 
the  Northern  States,  which  were  in  the  hands 
of  the  Democrats,  who  would  make  peace 
on  any  terms ;  closing  by  asking  them  now  to 
do  right,  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Con- 


THE   GREAT   BAILED  AD  ADVENTURE.      275 

federacy,  and  go  into  its  army,  promising  that 
all  their  previous  obstinacy  should  be  forgiven. 
The  effect  was  wonderful !  Listen,  ye  who 
cavil  at  the  government,  and  while  opposing  its 
policy,  still  think  you  do  no  harm !  These  were 
loyal  men,  and  had  proved  it  by  abandoning 
all  for  the  cherished  cause — many  of  them 
spending  weary  months  in  loathsome  dungeons. 
Yet  on  hearing  of  the  triumph  of  this  faction, 
which  promises  to  restore  the  Union  by  concili- 
ating and  wooing  back  the  rebels,  over  one-half 
of  them  yielded,  and  gave  that  consent  which 
neither  danger  nor  suffering  had  been  able  to 
force  from  them!  Thus  were  over  twenty 
recruits  from  one  room  of  one  prison,  obtained 
for  the  rebel  army  by  the  triumphs  of  Northern 
Democracy ! 

A  part  remained  faithful,  and  this  excited  the 
ire  of  the  secessionists.  To  punish  them,  Captain 
Alexander  issued  an  order  that  all  the  menial 
service  of  the  prison  should  be  performed  by 
Union  men.  Some  obeyed  the  order,  while 
others  would  not.  But  those  who  did  the 
work  complained  that  unwilling  ones  were  not 
made  to  help  them.  To  remedy  this,  a  list  was 
prepared,  and  the  names  taken  in  order.  One 
of  the  first  called  was  a  Tennesseean,  named 
McCoy.  He  answered  boldly : 

"  I'm  not  going." 


276  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

"  What's  the  matter,  now  ?"  demanded  the 
sergeant. 

"  I  did'nt  come  here  to  work ;  and  if  you  can't 
board  me  without,  you  may  send  me  home," 
replied  the  fearless  man. 

"  Well !  well !  you'll  be  attended  to,"  growled 
the  sergeant,  and  proceeded  with  the  roll.  Foui- 
others  likewise  refused,  and  were  reported  to 
Captain  Alexander,  who  at  once  ordered  them 
to  be  put  into  "  the  cell."  This  was  a  t  dark 
place  beside  the  open  court,  and  only  about  foui- 
feet  wide,  by  six  or  seven  in  length.  It  had  no 
floor -but  the  damp  earth,  and  was  destitute  of 
light.  Here  they  were  informed  that  they 
should  remain  until  they  agreed  to  work. 

We  found  another  alternative  for  them. — 
There  was  a  piece  of  file  and  a  scrap  of  stove- 
pipe in  our  room,  which  we  took,  and  buying 
a  candle  from  the  commissary,  watched  our  op- 
portunity, when  taken  out  to  wash,  to  slip 
them  into  the  cell.  As  soon  as  these  neces- 
saries were  received,  the  boys  begun  faithfully 
to  dig  their  way  out  under  the  wall.  All 
day  and  night  they  worked,  but  did  not  get 
through.  The  next  day,  we  supplied  them 
with  another  candle,  and  they  labored  on. 
Toward  morning,  they  broke  upward  through 
the  crust  of  the  ground  outside.  The  foremost 


THE   GEE  AT  RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.      277 

one  wormed  his  way  out,  and  glided  off.  He 
was  never  heard  from,  and  no  doubt  reached 
the  Union  lines.  The  next  man  was  just  under 
the  wall,-  when  the  barking  of  a  dog,  that  hap- 
pened to  be  prowling  around,  drew  the  atten- 
tion of  the  guard  that  way,  and  prevented  his 
escape.  Bat  though  the  stampede  was  thus 
arrested,  it  was  a  lesson  that  prevented  the  con- 
finement of  any  more  in  the  cell. 

Yet  they  were  not  content  to  give  up  the 
idea  of  making  us  their  servants.  I  happened 
to  be  on  the  next  list  prepared.  This  time  the 
task  was  to  dig  in  Captain  Alexander's  garden, 
which  we  would  have  been  obliged  to  perform 
with  an  armed  guard  standing  over  us. 

Of  course,  we  refused  to  go.  As  a  punish- 
ment, we  were  ordered  into  the  yard,  which 
was  only,  a  vacant  corner  of  the  building,  en- 
closed by  high  brick  walls,  on  the  top  of  which 
guards  walked.  It  was  a  cold  day  in  February, 
and  was  raining.  We  were  nearly  naked, 
having  only  the  remnant  of  the  rags  that  had 
already  served  for  more  than  their  time.  The 
bottoms  were  out  of  my  shoes,  and  the  water 
stood  in  the  yard  several  inches  deep.  The 
cold,  wet  wind,  swept  ddwn  with  biting  sharp- 
ness, and  almost  robbed  us  of  sensation.  We 
paced  the  narrow  bounds,  through  the  mud 


278  BAKING  AND   SUFFERING;   OR 

and  water,  until  too  weary  to  walk  any  more, 
and  then  resigned  ourselves  to  our  misery ! 

Here  we  remained  from  early  in  the  morning 
till  in  the  evening.  They  told  us  we  would 
have  to  stay  there  till  we  agreed  to  work,  or 
froze  to  death  1  The  first  we  resolved  never 
to  do.  The  latter  was  prevented  by  relief  from 
an  unexpected  source. 

The  old  commissary,  who  had  been  so  harsh 
to  us  when  we  first  arrived,  now  went  to  Cap- 
tain Alexander,  and  remonstrated  with  him  for 
his  cruelty. 

Said  he,  "  If  you  want  to  kill  the  men,  and  I 
know  the  rascals  deserve  it,  do  it  at  once. 
Hanging  is  the  best  way.  But  don't  keep  them 
there  to  die  by  inches,  for  it  will  disgrace  us  all 
over  the  world." 

This  logic  produced  a  good  effect,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  send  us  back  to  our  room, 
which,  with  its  warm  fire,  never  seemed  more 
pleasant.  It  was  well  they  did  not  keep  us  out 
during  the  night,  for  we  had  determined  to 
scale  the  wall,  if  we  lost  half  of  our  number  in 
the  attempt. 

The  effects  of  that  terrible  day  of  freezing 
were  soon  visible.  On  entering  the  room,  the 
grateful  warmth  produced  a  stupor  from  which 
most  of  us  awoke,  sick.  Some  died.  I,  myself, 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      279 

contracted  a  disease  of  the  lungs,  which  ren- 
dered me  an  invalid  for  months  after  regaining 
my  freedom. 

One  day  we  were  ordered  into  line,  and  the 
names  of  all  our  railroad  party,  with  a  few  of 
the  others,  called  over.  One,  whose  name  was 
omitted,  asked  the  reason  of  the  omission.  The 
officer  answered : 

"  We  can't  tell,  for  this  list  came  from  Yan- 
kee land." 

The  mention  of  "  Yankee  land"  started  con- 
jectures afloat  thick  and  fast.  Why  should  a 
list  be  sent  from  the  North  ?  Could  it  be  for 
the  purpose  of  exchange  ?  The  whole  prison 
Was  in  a  ferment. 

They  soon  discovered  that  a  general  exchange 
of  political  prisoners  was  in  contemplation. 
This  added  fuel  to  the  flames.  But  as  the  truce- 
boats  went  off  one  after  another,  and  week  after 
week  passed  by,  leaving  us  still  in  our  dark  and 
wearisome  prison,  hope  again  died  away.  Every 
person  who  ventured  to  speak  of  exchange  was 
laughed  into  silence. 

One  day  an  officer  came  into  the  room,  and 
ordered  a  sergeant  to  take  the  name  of  every 
man  who  claimed  United  States  protection,  in 
order  to  obtain  clothes  for  him.  Soon  the 


280  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

clothing  came.  It  did  not  comprise  a  complete 
suit,  but  was  extremely  welcome.  Never  did  I 
see  a  peacock  strut  with  more  ostentation  than 
did  some  of  the  prisoners  on  donning  the  uni- 
form. And  it  was  worthy  of  pride.  It  was  a 
token  that  we  were  not  forsaken,  but  that  a 
great  nation  was  extending  its  protection  over 
us.  The  ragged  guards  around,  clad  in  their 
miserable  butternut  suits,  growled  many  uncom- 
plimentary allusions  to  the  penuriousness  of 
their  own  government,  in  contrast  with  the  muni- 
ficence of  ours. 

There  were  only  about  one  hundred  parts  of 
suits  distributed,  though  the  papers,  the  next 
day,  stated  the  number  at  five  hundred  !  and 
this  I  afterward  found  was  actually  the*  number 
sent  from  Washington.  The  entire  four  hun- 
dred, and  part  of  the  last  hundred,  was  kept  by 
the  officers  as  a  compensation  for  their  trouble 
in  distributing  them !  But  they  certainly  acted 
with  more  than  their  ordinary  honesty  in  giving 
us  any  at  all  \ 

On  the  evening  of  the  17th  of  March,  when 
we  were  sitting  around  the  fire,  lazily,  but  not 
indifferently,  discussing  the  seige  of  Yicksburg, 
.and  laying  many  infallible  plans  by  which  it 
might  be  at  once  reduced,  an  officer  entered,  and 


THE   GKEAT  RAILEOAD  ADVENTURE.      281 

gave  the  strange  order  for  all  "  who  wanted  to 
go  to  the  United  States  to  come  to  the  office  1" 

When  I  obeyed,  it  was  with  very  little  hope 
that  there  was  really  a  chance  once  more  to 
stand  beneath  the  folds  of  our  loved  banner. 
Even  when  part  of  our  room-mates  had  gone  in, 
and  signed  the  oath  of  parole,  I  feared  that  the 
good  news^as  only  for  them.  To  test  the  mat- 
ter, I  went  forward,  and  as  I  gave  my  name, 
fully  expected  to  hear — "  The  engine-thieves 
can't  go" — but  no  objection  was  made.  For  a 
moment  a  delicious  hope  thrilled  through  my 
veins — a  vision  of  happiness  and  home,  dazzling 
as  a  flash  of  summer  lightning,  shone  before  my 
eyes — but  it  instantly  faded  before  the  remem- 
brance of  our  Atlanta  deception. 

It  was  announced  that  we  were  to  start  at 
four  o'clock  the  next  morning.  The  evening, 
as  might  be  expected,  was  one  of  wild  excite- 
ment. Nearly  all  acted  like  men  bereft  of  rea- 
son. Their  joyousness  found  vent  in  vociferous 
cheers — in  dancing  and  bounding  over  the  floor 
— in  embracing  each  other,  and  pledging  kind 
remembrances.  But  there  were  a  few  who 
were  not  permitted  to  go,  and  I  pitied  them.  I 
remembered  when  we  had  been  left  by  our 
comrades  on  our  first  arrival  in  Richmond,  arid 
my  heart  bled  for  these  forsaken  ones,  as  they 


282  DARING  AND   SUFFERING ;    OR  ' 

sat  cheerless  and  alone,  seeming  to  feel  even 
more  wretched  than  ever,  amid  the  general  joy. 

It  was  near  midnight  before  we  became  calm 
enough  to  offer  up  our  usual  evening  devotions. 
But  when  all  were  at  length  still,  wearied  out 
by  the  very  excess  of  joy,  and  when  the  quiet- 
ness that  ever  follows  overwhelming  emotions 
had  settled  down  upon  us,  we  knelt  in  prayer 
— a  prayer  of  deep,  strong,  fervent  thankfulness ; 
and  we  implored  that  we  might  not  be  deceived 
in  our  bright  and  vivid  hopes,  and  dashed  back 
from  our  anticipated  paradise;  yet  if  such 
should  be  His  high  and  mysterious  will,  and 
we  should  see  these  hopes  fade,  as  others 
faded  before  them,  we  asked  for  strength  to* 
bear  the  trial.  Thus  composed,  we  laid  down 
to  sleep,  and  await  the  event. 

Few  eyes  closed  during  the  entire  night. 
Fancy  was  too  busy  peopling  her  fairy  land- 
scapes— picturing  the  groups  that  awaited  us  be- 
yond that  boundary  which,  for  nearly  a  year, 
frowned  before  us,  gloomy  and  impassable  as  the 
silent  river  of  death !  But  even  as  we  muse,  what 
unbidden  fears  spring  up  to  darken  the  pros- 
pect, and  stain  the  brightness  of  our  joy  !  How 
many  of  those  friends  whose  love  was  as  our  life, 
may  be  no  more !  For  a  year,  not  a  whisper 
had  been  heard,  and  we  trembled  as  we  thought 


THE   GEEAT   RAILROAD  ADVENTURE.       283 

of  the  ravages  of  time  and  of  battle.  These 
and  other  thoughts  whirled  through  our  throb- 
bing brains  during  that  ever-memorable  night, 
and  were  only  broken  by  the  summons  of  the 
commanding  officer,  who,  long  ere  morning  light, 
gave  the  thrilling  order  to — prepare  for  our  jour- 
ney ! 

Hurriedly  we  thronged  to  our  feet.  It  was 
true!  Freedom  once  more  !  Our  terrible  cap- 
tivity was  passed  !  O  joy  1  JOY ! — almost  too 
wild  and  delirious  for  earth  ! 

There  was  a  hurrying  around  in  the  dark- 
ness illumined  by  the  flashing  of  torch -lights — • 
a  discordant  calling  of  names — a  careful  in- 
spection to  see  that  none  went  but  those  allowed ; 
then,  forming  two  lines  in  the  courtyard,  and 
with  bounding  hearts,  we  passed  outward  through 
the  dreaded  portals  of  Castle  Thunder — the 
same  portals  we  had  passed  inward  more  than 
three  months  before  1  passed  out  into  the  cool, 
but/ree  night  air! 

We  next  marched  through  the  muddy,  un- 
lighted  streets  for  many  squares.  There  were 
with  us  a  number  of  sick,  who  were  not  willing 
to  be  left  behind ;  and  as  the  rebels  refused  to 
provide  conveyances,  we  helped  them — encir- 
cling them  in  our  arms,  and  supporting  their 
tottering  steps  during  the  weary  distance.  Some 


284  DARING  AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

had  to  be  carried  altogether,  but  the  burden  was 
light,  upborne,  as  we  were,  on  the  wings  of  hope 
and  exultation. 

After  we  were  seated  in  the  cars,  we  found  in 
some  Kichmond  papers  the  intelligence  that  "  a 
large  number  of  engine-thieves,  bridge-burners, 
murderers,  robbers,  and  traitors  will  leave  this 
morning  for  the  United  States,"  also  congratu- 
lating themselves  on  the  riddance.  Our  con- 
gratulations were  not  less  fervid  1 

We  glided  slowly  along,  passing  fortifications 
and  rifle-pits,  till  we  arrived  at  Petersburg ; 
then  onward  to  City  Point,  the  place  of  general 
exchange.  Here,  for  the  first  time  in  eleven 
months,  we  saw  the  "  flag  of  the  free,"  floating 
in  proud  beauty  from  the  truce-boat  "  State  of 
Ma'ine."  It  was  a  glad  sight !  Her  undulating 
stars  were  fairer  to  us  than  the  brightest  con- 
stellations that  ever  sparkled  in  the  azure  fields 
above. 

The  grossest  frauds  are  often  practised  by 
the  unscrupulous  secessionists  in  these  ex- 
changes. I  will  give  a  case  that  occurred  at 
this  time. 

A  rebel  soldier  was  wounded  in  the  head  at  the 
first  battle  of  Manassas.  It  affected  his  brain, 
and  disordered  his  intellect,  so  that  even  after 
he  had  recovered  physically,  he  was  mentally 


THE  GEE  AT  RAILED  AD  ADVENTUEE.   285 

unable  to  perform  the  duties  of  a  soldier.  He 
was  confined  a  short  time  in  Castle  Thunder, 
and  then  sent  to  Camp  Lee,  to  try  him  again. 
But  he  was  no  better  than  before,  and  they  gave 
up  the  attempt  in  despair.  Then  they  exchanged 
him  to  us,  and  got  a  sound  man  in  his  place  ! 

When  the  boat  rounded  out  from  the  shore 
on  its  homeward  way,  our  joy  knew  no  bounds. 
It  seemed  as  if  we  had  awakened  from  a  hideous 
nightmare  dream  to  find  that  all  its  shapes 
of  horror  and  grinning  fiends  had  passed  away, 
and  left  us  standing  in  the  free  sunlight  once 
more.  Our  hearts  beat  glad  music  to  the  thresh 
of  the  wheels  on  the  water,  knowing  that  each 
ponderous  stroke  was  placing  a  greater  distance 
between  us  and  our  hated  enemies. 

Then,  too,  the  happy  welcome  with  which  we 
were  greeted ;  and  the  good  cheer,  so  different 
from  our  miserable  prison  fare,  and  the  kind 
faces,  smiling  all  around,  showed  in  living  colors 
that  we  were  freemen  again. 

Down  the  river  we  went,  passing  the  historic 
ground  of  the  James,  as  in  a  delirious  dream  of 
rapture  I  We  were  scarcely  consci  ous  of  passing 
events.  No  emotion  on  earth  has  the  same 
sweep  and  intensity  as  the  wild,  throbbing  sen- 
sations that  rush  thick  and  fast  through  the 
bosom  of  the  liberated  captive ! 


286 


DARING   AND  SUFFERING  ;    OR 


THE  MEDAL— (reduced  size.y  On  we  went— reached 
the  gunboats  that  ply  up 
and  down  the  river,  like 
giant  sentinels, guarding 
the  avenue  to  rebellion 
— reached  the  river's 
mouth,  passed  onward 
up  the  bay  to  Washing- 
ton !  As  we  came  in 
sight,  we  thronged  tu- 
multuously  to  the  ves- 
sel's side,  and  bent  eager, 
loving  eyes  on  the  snowy 
marble  front,  and  white 
towering  steeple  of  our 
nation's  Capitol. 

On  our  arrival,  we 
were  requested  by  the 
Secretary  of  War  to 
give  our  depositions  be- 
fore Hon.  Joseph  Holt, 
Judge  Advocate  Gene- 
ral, that  the  world  at 
large  might  know  on 
the  surest  foundation 
the  truth  of  our  nar- 
rative. We  were  re- 
ceived by  the  Judge  himself,  and  Major-Gene- 


REVERSE  OF  MEDAL. 


TILITAMPITTENG, 

pay  £2. 
QizoVoZf 


THE   GREAT   RAILROAD   ADVENTURE.      287 

ral  Hitchcock,  who  was  present,  with  the  most 
marked  cordiality.  This  interview  was  merely 
a  friendly  one,  and  was  passed  in  familiar  con- 
versation. 

On  our  second  visit,  we  found  a  j  ustice  of  thu 
peace  in  waiting  to  administer  the  necessary 
oath,  and  also  a  phonographer  to  write  our  tes- 
timony. We  were  examined  separately,  and 
the  result  published  officially  in  the  Army  and 
Naval  Gazette,  and  also  in  most  of  the  news- 
papers of  the  day. 

We  then  called  on  the  Secretary  of  War,  ac- 
companied by  our  kind  friends,  Major-General 
Hitchcock  and  J.  C.  Wetmore,  Ohio  State 
Agent.  Generals  Sigel  and  Stahl,  with  many 
other  distinguished  personages,  were  in  waiting, 
but  we  were  given  the  preference,  and  at  once 
admitted. 

The  Secretary  conversed  with  us  most  affably 
for  some  time.  Then  going  into  another  room, 
he  brought  out  six  medals,  (see  engraving — all 
are  similar,)  and  presented  them  to  us,  saying 
that  they  were  the  first  ever  given  to  private 
soldiers.  Jacob  Parrott,  the  boy  who  endured 
the  terrible  beating,  received,  as  he  well  deserved, 
the  first  one. 

He  next  presented  us  with  one  hundred  dol- 
lars each,  and  ordered  all  arrearages  to  be  paid, 


288  DARING   AND   SUFFERING;    OR 

and  the  money  and  the  value  of  the  arms  taken 
from  us  to  be  refunded. 

This  was  not  all.  He  requested  Governor 
Todd  to  promote  each  of  us  to  first  lieuten- 
ants in  the  Ohio  troops ;  and,  if  he  failed  to  do 
so,  promised  to  give  us  that  grade  in  the  regu- 
lar army.  We  then  received  furloughs  to  visit 
our  homes,  and  left  his  presence  profoundly 
convinced  that  "  republics  are"  not  always  "  un- 
grateful." 

We  were  then  escorted  by  our  friends  to  the 
Executive  mansion,  and  had  a  most  pleasing 
interview  with  our  noble  President.  His  kind- 
ness was  equal  to  that  of  the  Secretary.  After 
relating  to  him  some  incidents  of  prison  expe- 
rience, and  receiving  his  sympathizing  com- 
ments, we  took  our  leave. 

And  now — safe  in  a  land  of  freedom— with 
the  consciousness  of  having  performed  our  duty 
— surrounded  by  fathers  and  mothers,  brothers 
and  sisters,  wives  and  children,  who  had  long 
mourned  us  as  dead^-our  dangers  past,  and  our 
sufferings  rewarded — I  drop  the  vail. 

THE  END. 


